Distortion
by Winterwing3000
Summary: When Rin is abandoned by Sesshomaru, he leaves her with a bell. Ten years later at the brink of war, he never expects to see her again. But she doesn't remember who he is and his gift to her is not how it should be. Rusted. Sesshomaru x Rin
1. Sudden Abandon

**Disclaimers **on all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi.

**AN:** A bit of a note before I start. This fanfiction doesn't fit into the current manga timeline, so if any of the readers wish to contradict me due to that reason, please keep in mind that this fanfiction is mainly deviated from the junky ending that anime provided VIZ with. And I'm also aware that I still have yet to finish Small World, It's. However, I'm just itching to write this more than that. I'm not sure if it's the adrenaline of new plots or the decaying inspiration for old ones, but I'll be sure to finish both with my fullest capacity and love! And without further ado, I bring you Distortion.

_Edited 8/31/12._

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_Sudden Abandon_,

By Winterwing3000

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The sky was grey, so thick with snow clouds that the midday sun could not peak through and spread warmth in the cold wintry forests. Everything was silent and nothing stirred. Snow fell quietly and gently, lightly dusting the mountains and forests at their foot.

Within the naked branches of the forests, a motley group of four traveled forward toward the clearing at the edge of the forests that loitered on the mountain side.

Sesshomaru led the group, holding onto the reins of his carrier dragon, Ah-Un. His silvery hair and starch-white garments blended in with the bleakness around them. His fur wrap trailed behind him as he walked, erasing all traces of his footprints.

Ah-Un, the faithful and diligent dragon demon, lumbered behind his master. Occasionally, puffs of white breath could be seen as they breathed through their nostrils despite the muzzle over their jaws. On their back was Rin, who was dressed warmly with a downy fur cloak. She rubbed her hands from time to time to warm them. Her feet held on tightly to her ride's saddle, adorned in a simple pair of linen wraps and summer sandals.

Finally, at the tail of the demon pet was Jaken, who grumbled about the cold weather and shivered in his clothing. He clutched the Staff of Heads to his body as if seeking warmth from the wooden staff.

They had been traveling for nearly three days in the cold, snowy weather of the northern borders without a destination in mind. Naraku was still at large, hiding away in an unknown location and trying to recuperate from the devastating battle that he fled from against Inuyasha and company.

"Sesshomaru-sama, where are we going?" Rin asked, looking up into the sky of slate colored clouds.

Jaken squawked despite his freezing condition, "How dare you question Sesshomaru-sama's actions, Rin!"

"But we've been traveling for so long now and all Rin can see is snow, Jaken-sama!" the girl said, pouting. She wished for the fields of flowers and green grass, not the bleakness of the mountains.

Ah-Un stopped suddenly behind Sesshomaru who halted as they finally reached the edge of the forest.

"Ara, why are we stopping here, Sesshomaru-sama?" Jaken inquired, hopping off from his seat and wobbling up behind the demon lord.

Sesshomaru did not answer Jaken. He merely looked down at the valley. They reached the space between two great mountains surrounded completely by forests. At the bottom, of the valley was a snowcapped village. It was small with barely any suitable farms but a great lake supplied it plenty of fish year-round. At the end of the small rural and isolated village was a shrine built on an incline. Stone steps led up to the shrine.

"Rin." Sesshomaru called, still staring at the shrine. He could feel the purifying presence pulsing from it at where he stood.

"Hai!" Rin answered promptly, sliding off the dragon's back and stumbled slightly through the ankle deep snow. She came up behind his fur stole.

He did not acknowledge her presence but addressed Jaken instead. "Jaken, take Ah-Un and wait for me at the foot of the mountain."

He did not wish to be abandoned by his lord or to be second best compared to the human girl. The toad imp whimpered. "But what of Rin? Surely Sesshomaru-sama wishes for Rin's safety with Ah-Un!"

A pebbled flew and knocked Jaken over.

"You dare question this Sesshomaru's ability?" the daiyoukai rumbled without turning over to look at the quickly prostrating Jaken.

"N-No! Forgive this lowly Jaken, Sesshomaru-sama!" The lower class demon went and picked up the dropped reins of the dragons and began to back track from their journey upwards.

He gave a jealous and aggravated look at Rin, who only smiled and waved. "See you later, Jaken-sama! Bye bye Ah-Un!"

It wasn't long before Jaken and Ah-Un's back profile disappeared completely from sight and only silence and whiteness remained. Rin sighed at the colorless landscape. She missed the effulgent colors of spring and summer. Not to mention the warmth as she shivered from the cold seeping through her feet wraps.

Turning back around, she looked up at the back of Sesshomaru's head. "Sesshomaru-sama?"

Rin blinked as she stopped at his side. She saw his eyes linger on the human village below and remained staring at him, waiting for some sort of answer.

Sesshomaru felt some of the hair on the nape of his neck stand up from the tingling sensation creeping up on him. He did not wish to travel past the village and have feeble humans threaten him meaninglessly with their tools. And he did not deem them fit for his purposes. However, a priestess was entirely another case. Without a doubt, the priestess would attempt to destroy him with useless spells and incantations as many previous monks and priests and priestesses have. Both options were therefore troublesome yet he promised himself that he could no longer keep the human child with him.

For far too many times, Rin had been taken hostage and endangered and he could no longer have such a hindrance at his side. Feeling annoyed, he decided his option was to quickly leave Rin at the hands of the priestess and depart. Looking downward at the human girl, he felt something tug within him as the innocent doe eyes stared at him in complete wonder. "Sesshomaru-sama?"

He knelt to her level, although not entirely on his knees, and told her, "Come."

At first, Rin hesitated, unsure of what he meant, but smiled widely as she walked into his arm and carefully gripped onto his forearm, avoiding the protruding horns of his breastplate.

Sesshomaru stood up gracefully as he secured his arm under her knees and lifted her. Rin was a lightweight compared to the weight of his swords. The girl felt slightly discomforted and frowned. She gingerly released her hold on his bicep and instead reached around his neck. She didn't encircle her arms all the way, waiting for some negative response from her lord but was given none. So she wrapped her arms around his neck gently and beamed. "Where are we going, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"The shrine," he answered simply, checking his grip on her before saying, "Do not move."

She nodded and remained still. Sessshomaru sunk into a slight crouch and leapt into the air. Rin suppressed an urge to laugh though her eyes twinkled with delight. This was better than riding on Ah-Un! The wind whipped at her side pony tail and flowing tresses as the hood fell from her crown. Her cheeks turned red from the cold. She wanted to giggle when a silver strand of hair tickled her cheek.

The ride was short but thoroughly enjoyed by Rin as Sesshomaru landed softly onto the sacred grounds. They were immediately confronted by the priestess, who resided on these premises, with a staff in her hands. The short silver trinkets hanging from the bound spearhead clinked.

"State your business demon! What have you trespassing upon the holy grounds of the good?!" the priestess demanded. She quickly scanned Sesshomaru and her brown eyes widened at the sight of Rin in his arm, even though she was nearly hidden by his pelt. "You monster! To have taken a child from the village! Release her!"

Sesshomaru growled at her insinuation. "Do not make such absurd assumptions, miko. This Sesshomaru needs not listen to the likes of your kind."

"Release her or you won't be leaving in one piece, youkai," the woman warned. Her spiritual energy glowed with a silvery green as she positioned herself in an offensive stance.

Sesshomaru ignored her completely and turned his focus upon his ward, who only gazed at him with inquisitive eyes.

"Sesshomaru-sama? Can we leave? Rin does not like her," Rin said with distrust in her eyes.

He did not blink as she addressed him. He only continued to stare at her, soaking in the details of her youthful face, the rosy cheeks and those pure brimming eyes. He leaned in close enough so that the tip of his nose was buried into her dark brown locks, quietly inhaling her scent of wildflowers and sweet ginger. The scent crawled from his nose, up to his mind, traveling as if a ghost into his soul, causing his blood to churn.

Suddenly, he bent down low enough for Rin's feet to reach the lightly snow covered ground. Understanding his action, even if she was perplexed at it and did not ask why, Rin unlatched herself and stood motionless in front of the demon lord. She cocked her head to the side and said again, "Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru reached into the sleeve of his haori and procured a long silk ribbon with a bell tied to it. He slipped it over her head with his single hand, brushing away a bang from her eyes afterward. The bell jingled. Rin carefully picked up the bell and turned it in her hand before smiling widely.

"Arigatou Sesshomaru-sama!" she said sincerely, eyes filled with happiness at his gift.

However, her smile quickly turned into a frown when he did not respond but rather stood up, averting his focus to the miko behind her.

"Miko," Sesshomaru started.

"I have a name, youkai. It is Tsukiko. And know it well before you perish at my hands," Tsukiko said, glaring at him now. She had quickly recovered from her shock at witnessing the abnormal interaction between Sesshomaru and Rin.

"I care not for your name. I leave her in your hands," he said monotonously.

"Sesshomaru-sama? Where are you going?" Rin asked as a slight fear taking hold of her when the words "leave her" slipped from his tongue. She reached forward to grab hold of his dangling pelt, but it was whisked away from her touch.

"Stay here, Rin," he told her and began to walk away without a second glance.

"No! Don't leave Rin here, Sesshomaru-sama!" she shouted in defiance. "Take Rin with you!"

She started after him but was immediately held back by Tsukiko, who seized her from behind.

"No! Let me go! Hanase! Sesshomaru-sama!" The girl child struggled in the grasp of the older woman as fear completely consumed her. The fear of abandon overrode her senses.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Don't leave Rin! Come back! Please!" Tears formed and rolled down in fat drops. "Please, come back, Sesshomaru-sama!"

Rin watched, sobbing, as Sesshomaru, her savior and guardian, descended the stone steps with his back straight and silvery mane rustling in the wind. She waited for him to turn back and take her away but all her hopes were crushed as she could only see his head disappeared slowly.

And then, there was nothing left.

"SESSHOMARU-SAMA!"

**...**

**AN:** Chapter 2, _Rusted Memoir_, is under construction. Will be posted before Christmas though.


	2. Rusted Memoir

**Disclaimers **on all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko is my own character. Please do not abuse her.

* * *

_Rusted Memoir,_

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Tsukiko quietly prepared the vegetable broth and carefully watched over the roasting fish she had received from the villagers. She habitually prepared two servings of the broth and scooped two bowls of rice. When she finished with setting up the table, she stood up and walked to the door. 

Opening it, the priestess looked down and already knew that the young child would be sitting there, staring and waiting with blank eyes and an expressionless face for the never returning demon.

It has nearly been two weeks since Sesshomaru's departure and Rin's new residency here at the Snow Valley Village's shrine. Two weeks ago, after Sesshomaru left, Rin attempted to escape many times, but could not get very far because Tsukiko kept a wary eye on her new charge. After the first three days of failures, Rin decided to sit on the steps to the shrine house. And she waited ever since. Rin barely accepted any nourishment except for a small fruit or a sip of water from Tsukiko.

Her once wiry frame became thinner. Her weight decreased and made Rin look even smaller under the fur cloak that she had wrapped around her shoulders to ward off the chill and freezing weather. Her hair was wind swept and unkempt, her cheeks a pale white pallor. Yet her hands held tight to the bell that her lord had left in her possession. To Rin, it was a sign of his return. It was not a parting gift. No, why would Sesshomaru-sama leave her with something so precious and not come back for it?

Rin sneezed and Tsukiko sighed.

Bending down into a squat, Tsukiko laid a soft hand onto Rin's stiff shoulders, which was quickly shrugged off. Frowning slightly, she spoke softly, "Child you must come in and eat."

"Rin is not hungry," the girl replied. "Thank you miko-sama."

Frustrating finally reached its peak. Standing in front of Rin, Tsukiko gripped her shoulders, forcing the young girl to look up. "Child, give it up! The demon will never return!"

Rin growled, a trait she picked up from around Sesshomaru when angered, and snapped her head up. Her round eyes were hardened in dislike. The bell necklace rang in a clear tone. "Do not talk about Sesshomaru-sama like that! He will come back for Rin, he will!!"

"Demons are no more than liars and killers! He has poisoned you! You should hate him of his cruel deeds!" the priestess chastised harshly.

"Never! Sesshomaru-sama saved Rin! Rin will never hate Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin shouted, shoving off Tsukiko's hands. "Rin loves Sesshomaru-sama! She knows he will come back!"

Tsukiko felt her eyes widen at such atrocious thinking. Demons and humans were created in order to despise and cleanse each other of the other's presence. She hated the idea of harmony between the demons and humans. Demons were ruthless and murderers of many innocent beings, and so it was her duty to destroy them. Yet to have a human child so openly defy the ideal she lived by just simply by declaring her love for him… It was unforgivable! Anger coursed through her veins, it was unacceptable! She will not raise a girl with such disgusting and disobedient behavior!

She raised her hand and slapped the near-hateful glare from Rin's face.

Rin gritted her teeth at the stinging pain on her cheek and tears welled in her eyes. "Why did you hit Rin?! Rin hates you! All of you!"

She stood up and darted around Tsukiko, thinking of leaving this horrible place and to search for her lord on her own as she did before. Maybe Sesshomaru-sama had to go and fight Naraku and save Kohaku-kun. She remembered the other youth, who was under the control of that evil monster who had kidnapped her once too many times. Sesshomaru-sama was going to kill that monster and come find her again. Yes, that was probably why. He did not want her to be captured again.

Suddenly, arms grabbed hold around her middle and lifted her from the snow covered ground. Rin quickly reacted and struggled wildly. She would not be detained again. "Let Rin go!"

"Since you refuse to forget and hate that demon, you leave me little choice child." Tsukiko said, raising her arm again.

"No! Let Rin go!" Rin cried, thrashing about in anger. Then, she felt a pressure on the back of her neck. Black swarmed into her vision. "S-Sesshomaru-sama… help me…"

Tsukiko stared down at the limp form of the girl. "Wasting your life for a pitiful demon is something I will not allow to pass. Therefore… you shall begin your life again. This time, without this demon Sesshomaru."

Hefting the unconscious child into her arms more securely, Tsukiko moved deeper into the house of the shrine. She walked past the room of sacrifice and purification and rounded a corner. She stopped in front of the room, marked mainly for exorcisms. Drawing back the door, she entered.

The room was dimly lit with candles and at the small altar, there was burning incense. The wooden floor was marked with a black ink seal. In the center was a small pentagram. The ring surrounding the pentagram contained elemental forms. Encasing the ring was a hexagon that was overlapped with a four point star. Ancient words were written calligraphically and with great precision within and around this large seal.

Tsukiko made her way to the center of the large seal and gently laid Rin onto of the pentagram. She then went about to close the opened windows, shutting out the sunlight from outside. When finished, the miko returned to where the small unconscious girl was. She looked down at the girl with a thin frown on her lips and shook her head, walking to the tip of the four point star which Rin's feet faced.

Closing her eyes, Tsukiko began to perform hand seals and chanted in a monotonous voice.

The once chilly wintry air in the room was replaced by an invisible and undefined gust, which slowly snuffed out the candles, one by one. The incense continued to burn in the background, creating a ghostly mist in the darkened room. Tsukiko's spiritual aura glowed incandescently, causing Rin's body to react to the air around her. Soon, a silvery mist leaked from the young girl's body and gathered above her head. The miko completed her chant and focused all her energy in gathering the silver mist before directing it into the bell charm.

Finally, the incense turned to ashes and Tsukiko sighed in relief and exhaustion. She had completed her task. Shedding her outer thick robe lined with rabbit fur along the neckline, she wrapped it around Rin. Turned to the doorway, intent on leaving but something halted her in her steps and forced her gaze to linger on the now sleeping girl.

She will not regret her decision. What was done was done and that cannot be changed. Her eyes wandered to the necklace around Rin's neck.

The once golden bell turned into red copper.

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**AN:** See? I updated. Before Christmas. So Happy Holidays and have a Happy New Years! I'll probably be able to update in January or early February.

Many thanks to the readers and the reviewers: **ArizonaBay, Sweetayu, sphinx, Mushrambolover, **and **luna Elisabeth bowman**!!!


	3. Caution in the Wind

**Disclaimers **on all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko is my own character. Please do not abuse her.

* * *

_Caution in the Wind_, 

By Winterwing3000

* * *

_Ten years later in Feudal Japan…_

The time of growth quickly passed Nihon and the season of harvest descended. The morning sun glowed dimly in the early fog. The maple leaves faded into a light burgundy and tangerine color. Flowers were wilting rapidly, once heavily flowered heads drooping and turned into a musky brown. Green grass melted into scruffy and dry yellow. Squirrels were running about hunting for nuts as rabbits hurried their young into their underground dens. Birds chattered in the skies, preparing to head to warmer climates as soon as the first snow fell. A large estate, hidden behind the clusters of forest and planted in front of a short water gray mountain range, was doused by the sunlight peaking through the fog.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama!!" a hoarse voice squawked in the corridors. Webbed feet pattered noisily on the polished wooden floor and the shouji door to the main study was thrown open. The toad-like imp, Jaken, panted breathlessly with his Staff of Heads clutched in one of his clawed hands. His already bulbous yellow eyes were magnified by urgency.

Sesshomaru, seated behind the table with scrolls piled neatly, a brush stand and inkwell next to it, had a map unfurled in front of him. His golden eyes lifted from the map and narrowed at the intrusion. "Knock Jaken," he said.

The lesser demon quickly prostrated himself under the gaze of the formidable demon lord. "My deepest apologies, Sesshomaru-sama. But please forgive this Jaken for disturbing Sesshomaru-sama! I have been notified by the scout from the South!"

"What is it?" the daiyoukai questioned, attention now caught.

"It was said that more than half of the Southern Land's army have been mobilized and equipped for battle, my Lord. A smaller platoon of six hundred youkai have been dispatched before mobilization and deployed toward the Western borders!" Jaken rushed out, fishing the report from the carrier within his sleeve. "The message was marked two days ago, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Bring it to me," Sesshomaru ordered, eyes filled with alert.

Jaken scurried over and handed the scroll. Silent tension rose as the inuyoukai examined the written message. Jaken dared an utterance ("Sesshomaru-sama?") before he tumbled over as Sesshomaru swept past him and paused at the door.

"Jaken, assemble the army and prepare them for war. Send a messenger to the South to warn Jingo of this Sesshomaru's arrival. The army is to be on standby until further notice," Sesshomaru commanded before stepping out of the room, leaving a momentarily stupefied Jaken.

Snapping to his senses, Jaken squawked a "Hai, Sesshomaru-sama!" and dashed to fulfill his given duty.

* * *

A man, his long copper-gold hair pulled into a traditional ponytail atop of his head, lounged upon the wooden seat by the window in his meeting room. He was dressed in a light maroon haori with crimson flame patterns at the edges of his sleeves and embroidered at the hem. His feet was bare, the toenails lightly tipped with claws. He drummed one of his clawed hands upon his knee, red-orange eyes staring with a pacified expression out the open window and into the rich pond of koi, which was surrounded by violet irises. 

The demon lord, daiyoukai of the Southern Territories, was Jingo, a kitsune. His predecessors were his ancestors who had fiercely battled the dog demons for this territory for many centuries.

In the ancient days, when peace and prosperity never lasted, terror and darkness ruled. Demons banded against humans, constant warfare ravaged the lands. Even though the demons soon gained majority control over most of Nihon, powerful warlords were unsatisfied. The once allies turned upon each other, disbanding into five major powers. The Dog clan, the Wolf tribe, the Boar clan, the Cat tribe and the Vermin pack fought and secured for their borders. The Wolf demons and the Boar demons easily acquired their territories in the North and East. However, it took many centuries for the Dog demons to seize nearly the entire Western and Southern portions of Nihon by defeating the Cat tribe and forcing the Vermin pack to submit under their rule.

The Cats fled, spreading in small groups, throughout the small country. As the Vermin demons lived under oppression, their resentment toward the Dog clan grew. Although they were fairly governed, they hungered for power. Small rebellions and riots were quickly broken by the Dog clan's troops. Nonetheless, their freedom finally appeared when the Great War fell upon the Inuyoukai territory.

It was only two generations ago, under Jingo's grandfather, Ashitaga, when the South finally fell into their hands at the Inu no Taisho's downfall during the Great War. The first wave came from unsettled and unnamed rouge demons from the central areas, followed by the disgruntled enemies of the Dog clan. Nearly five years after these two waves, Touga, the Inu no Taisho at the time of the Great War, faced the Dragon Demon, Ryuukotsusei, Ashitaga viciously plundered the governed lands, taking million of lives of humans and demons. The Inu noTaisho eventually died due to the battle wounds from Ryuukotsusei, and Sesshomaru was abruptly pronounced the heir and successor of the West by his father's court.

The new Inu no Taisho, Sesshomaru, although well rehearsed in the affairs with the other warlords and daiyoukai, was relatively fresh at that time to the game of politics. His father's army was weak and another war after the last one his father had fought would only bring ruin to the West. Therefore he negotiated, with Jaken's short guidance, and only forfeited a small portion of the southern west territory to the foxes and came to peaceful terms with the other interlopers. However, the kitsune clan, unsatisfied and arrogant of the favorable negotiations became land hungry.

Jingo's father's attempt at expansion barely made an impact on annexing new lands to the small Southern territory. A lot of it remained untouched. For that reason, as Jingo ascended his place as heir, he quickly embarked on this land and power hungry expansion.

He would slowly make his way toward the Eastern borders first but would not overstep the boundaries since the Boar demon lord of the East could easily crush the South's economy. It would be best to remain on amicable grounds. Instead, he decided to launch an invasion toward the West and move on upward to the Northern and unclaimed territories. Although the wolves resided there, their territory was small and could be easily captured.

Now the only problem was the West. Jingo knew immediately that Sesshomaru would be aggravated and would not ignore the present threat. Nevertheless, he would like to see what terms will be offered by Sesshomaru in order to save the West.

Jingo ambled over to the table in the center of the room and sat down, all the while, smirking at the present situation. No doubt Sesshomaru would be here. It has nearly been three days since he dispatched the small platoon. Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming youki permeating into his meeting room from the outside, announcing the arrival of the Western lord's daiyoukai, Sesshomaru.

"Bring tea," Jingo ordered the maid. She bowed and exited the room to gather the tea.

Another servant knocked. "My Lord, Sesshomaru-sama of the West has arrived."

"Yes, escort him in," Jingo said, preparing to stand and properly greet the Western lord. Just as he dusted his hakama, Sesshomaru appeared at the opened doorway with an cold and yet indifferent expression on his face.

"Ah, Sesshomaru-sama, it is an honor to finally meet you!" Jingo greeted, a faux smile etched on his lips. "Please, sit."

Sesshomaru assented and responded to the formalities. "I see that you are well, Jingo."

"Of course. What may I owe you for your presence here in my lands, Sesshomaru-sama?" the Southern lord asked even though he was fully aware of the reasons. The maid returned with the tea and quietly knelt before the two demon lords as she prepared and served the beverage. When her chore was completed, she retreated to the door and closed it after a small bow.

"I am quite certain that my reasons are obvious. What is your purpose and meaning?" the dog demon inquired in return as he cut the chase.

"Why, whatever can you mean, Sesshomaru-sama?" The kitsune drank his tea, hiding a grin behind the cup.

"Enough foolishness Jingo. You have dishonored the treaty of the previous war between our ancestors. You ought to consider your actions before attacking my borders," Sesshomaru warned steely.

"Ah, as you've said. It was the treaty of the past. Not between us. Therefore, I find it null and invalid. This gives me free range at expansions, does it not?" Jingo grinned foxily, setting down the cup. "Unless you wish to form a pact with me, then I shall consider retracting my troops."

Sesshomaru said nothing in return but remained focused on Jingo.

"The terms are quite simple," the kitsune continued. "I only ask for the lower third portion of the Western lands and access to the northern trade routes with the Northern lands, which the West currently controls. Also I would like to request for a formal alliance between the South and the West. Should unpleasant circumstances arise… ara?" He stopped in mid-sentence as Sesshomaru stood up and walked to the door.

"You will regret challenging this Sesshomaru," Sesshomaru stated and left.

Jingo watched as the Western Lord turned in the hallway and disappeared from sight. He chuckled, bringing the cup of tea to his lips once more.

* * *

**AN:** Whew, I hate formal war beginnings and history. But I'm having a hell lot of fun writing politics. Bwhaha, AP History courses are such an inspiration!! Anyway, don't expect another update for a long, LONG time. It'll probably happen around April… or May… or even perhaps late June. But review? 

Thanks to the readers and the reviewers: **ArizonaBay, XBloodMageRikaX, Kinzru Arolen, Lady-BriBri, Sweetayu, ****Mushrambolover, cheryljb, **and **gerigirl**.


	4. Retracing Past Steps

**Standard Disclaimers apply **to all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko and Jingo are my own characters. Please do not abuse them. And take heed, this chapter has **SPOILERS** regarding Sesshomaru's swords (new and old) from the (finally!) completed manga!

* * *

_Retracing Past Steps_,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Sesshomaru returned to his castle and was greeted by a frantic Jaken. "Sesshomaru-sama, has Jingo been disposed of? Should I order the two platoons to herd off the approaching Southern troops?"

"Prepare for war, Jaken. Send couriers to all allies, lords and demons of the West and alert them of wartime measures against the South," Sesshomaru commanded curtly, heading to his chambers. Two maids were stationed there and opened the shouji screen doors as he reached there. Jaken scuttled off, screeching for the head scribe and another servant to round the messengers.

Sesshomaru dismissed the two females and opened the wooden closet on the far right of his room. Inside was a full battle armor set forged by Toutousai. At the moment, they were unnecessary but the sword which hung within was what he was looking at.

Tenseiga, the sword of healing and revival of the dead. The accursed sword which he shunned but was never truly discarded. It has been nearly ten years since he has touched this sword. He didn't even carry it at his side as he did with Bakusaiga, the new sword, along with his left arm, which he received during one of the battles between Magatsuhi—the evil spirit element of the Shikon no Tama. Tokijin, the evil sword forged by Kaijinbou, the infamous ex-apprentice of Toutousai, was destroyed in an earlier battle with another of Naraku's detachment.

Nonetheless, the healing sword was never touched ever since he relocated her. His ward was the only other person Tenseiga actually responded to. He never felt the need for it ever since.

The dog demon frowned. It was not the time for such trivial and idle thoughts. Although unsure of his reasons, Sesshomaru reached out and gripped the familiar clothed hilt of his father's memento. Tenseiga hummed in response to his youki, and it glowed a faint blue before returning to its inanimate state again.

He removed it from the stand and sheathed it at his side along Bakusaiga. Then he headed toward the main hall, where seven couriers were dispatched at Jaken's hoarse orders. The toad demon was nearly bowled over as Sesshomaru walked past him. Immediately, Jaken called out and stumbled after him. "My Lord, where are you going?"

"The North and to secure my boundaries. I shall return before the first battle." Sesshomaru glanced into the clear sky and shifted into his singular traveling form. A glowing white ball of youki rose and flashed in the direction of the north, leaving a wailing Jaken crying after him, "Take me with you, Sesshomaru-sama!!"

* * *

Sesshomaru marched swiftly through the forest, which still held his scent and markings. When he returned from the South, he secured the borders down there and made it easier for himself, leaving only the center and the northern borders unchecked. Although the Western Lands were great, with him alone, Sesshomaru could complete the territorial reconnaissance within two days or so. He did not find this job troublesome even though it was usually Jaken who did most of the work. However, the business after this was what annoyed him.

His father, the previous Inu no Tashio, had allowed human feudal lords to govern parts of his land with a yearly tribute from each province. But knowing them, if Jingo offered them support and monetarily increased provisions that exceeded the West's designated amount, Sesshomaru would have to face twice the amount of enemy troops. Even if his army was substantially greater than Jingo's and the humans put together, it would be difficult to handle an enemy spread so far around his base. And even though Sesshomaru preferred that the humans came to his castle and meet with him, time was of the essence. he could not waste time waiting for them to slowly make their travel on horseback carriages. He had to go to them instead. Luckily, there were only three or four human lords on his lands, so there will only be short visits.

Sesshomaru reached the upper borders by now and skipped past Inuyasha's forest and domain. He had no interest to step on his half-brother's territory and was well aware of the fact that Inuyasha would protect his small plot of land from all outsiders. There also wasn't a need to check off the territory there. Without a doubt, Inuyasha marked it as his. It would be best if he started with the negotiations and reaffirmations of loyalty, or rather him practicing coercions with the lords in the north. The wolf tribe should have known of the oncoming war by now.

He swiftly traveled through the forest that slowly lost its foliage and leaves as he went further north. It was a little past midday of the second day that he has spent marking and checking. If things went smoothly, he should be back at his castle by tomorrow evening.

As he ascended the mountain trail and through the dead forests alongside it, he couldn't suppress the onslaught of familiarity from the road he was journeying. If he remembered correctly, there should be a human village ensconced within the walls of a valley somewhere in these snowy mountains. The village whose shrine he had left her… nearly a decade ago…

Casting the thought aside, Sesshomaru quickly approached the end of the forest. However, a breeze carried sounds to his sensitive ears. There was a roar of a demon, a cat by the scent and there were also faint traces of… his own scent?!

Normally, he would have brushed off such small things like these, but rarely has he journeyed this far north so there shouldn't be any traces of his scent up here, no matter how faint it was. So curiosity and puzzlement drew him away from his course and led him deeper into the bare forest. Everything else was as silent as death, but the occasional cry and clashes of metal allowed him to assume that there was a battle of sorts. Any other scent was impossible to discern since his surroundings were so pure and clean.

Looking ahead, he saw the battle. A cat demon, not of the cat tribe that he had encountered many years ago, was bearing down upon a female human who had a sword drawn. The demon sustained three heavy injuries, all stab wounds and it didn't show any signs of recovery, which was strange. The human only had a few tears and rips on her outer cloak. She charged at the larger opponent with her sword raised. But what came next halted Sesshomaru and sent a tiny tingle down his spine.

The sword glowed and crackled with spiritual energy and embedded itself into the cat's chest. The demon yowled and made a desperate attack, surprising the human and caught her shoulder with four deep gashes. Finally a burst of energy ran through the metal weapon and it completely annihilated the demon, turning it into small lights and a pile of ashes.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. It was rare to find a miko these days that could be so powerful. Her spiritual energy made his demon blood react violently. Yet the previous trivia persisted in the back of his mind. By the looks of it, he has no recollection of ever coming in contact with human priestesses, save the wench and keeper of the Shikon no Tama, that dead miko and the one who lived at the village in the valley. He observed the young miko silently. She had dark brown hair, which hung down her back, barely down to her waist. She was perhaps a head or so shorter than he, but had a lean and supple body structure. There was nothing about her that separated her from the others of her kind.

Suddenly, the human woman turned and looked to where he was standing. Here eyes paused over him critically before she sheathed her sword into the scabbard tied almost horizontally to the back of her waist, nearly hidden behind her tresses. However, she continued to stare at him with entranced eyes.

The daiyoukai scoffed and was about to turn away when the miko snapped from her daze by shaking her head. A peculiar sound caught his ear's attention. It sounded somewhat like a tinker, but the sound was dull and hollow, as if dead. Sesshomaru once more focused on the human priestess and scoured her figure for the source.

A moment later, he spotted the object. It was rusted and lacked the usual polished gleam, but it nestled against the side ponytail quite snuggly, a ribbon holding both together.

Immediately, Sesshomaru recognized the signature hairstyle but made no move to approach her. If it was truly Rin, she would have been at his side within an instant. But she did not. Instead, she was dumbfounded at his attention and had slightly colored cheeks. Quickly, she walked over to her steed and fled on horseback.

Releasing a breath he didn't realize that he was holding, the dog demon lord brushed away the nonsensical thoughts and proceeded to the human village.

* * *

**AN:** It's been a while! Things will start to get better, I promise. But I have no excuse for not updating. I planned to focus on my other fanfics, but I recently found my originally lost outlines for this. And it really re-inspired me to pick it up again. Anyway, comments? Criticism? Sesshomaru-plushies?

Like always, thank you readers and wonderful reviewers: **lady-bribri, gerigirl, XBloodMageRikaX, ViciousMoon, TheEvilAshleyness, JiraiyasGirl,** and **Tie**!


	5. Scent of War

**Standard Disclaimers **applyto all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko is my own character. Please do not abuse them!

* * *

_Scent of War_,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Sesshomaru sat with his back rigid and eyes closed. His hands were placed on top of his bended knees. He completely ignored the provided tea poured on the low table before him. He inwardly growled as the commotion made by the servants grew increasingly annoying. Their frightened chatter erupted ever since he stepped foot into the village. The villagers were too stupefied to react but he distinctly heard one of them telling a child to run to the shrine and fetch the village priestess. He also felt the guard around the structure of the village head's home increase.

It was a while before the head of the village, an elderly man with fierce eyes and a confident stride, entered the room and greeted the daiyoukai of the West. He bowed formally to Sesshomaru and gestured for him to be seated at the head of the table. The elder sat down on the side.

The inuyoukai inclined his head swiftly as his eyes glimmered with slight respect.

"I thank you for coming all this way to our humble village, Inu no Taisho, Sesshomaru-sama. Our presence is quite the honor," the village head said while looking straight at Sesshomaru as the demon sat down. Once seated, the elder offered, "Please have some warm tea to ward off the cold."

Ignoring the tea, Sesshomaru gave the human male a pointed look as he jumped immediately into the purpose of his visit. "This Sesshomaru came with matters of the beginnings of war between the West and the south."

"Yes, I have heard rumors of the Southern army preparing for battle. I take it that you are here to discuss of this village's loyalties and oath of allegiance, Sesshomaru-sama," the old man remarked. When Sesshomaru said nothing in reply, he continued. "Very well. I have given some thought prior to your arrival and with your appearance, I can only bear the honor of allying our small village with the West upon this matter. I only hope that Sesshomaru-sama might provide the village with the necessary protection if there should come a time where the village will be under siege."

The silver-haired man mulled over the terms. They were harmless enough. And it was a mere village. Nothing but a few youkai guards will be required to protect it. After all, the village itself was obscured from most of the world due to its natural environment and climate. Very few would venture so far into the mountains of snow without a death wish or a purpose.

"You have my word," Sesshomaru stated clearly.

The head villager gave a small smile. "Then I shall have a scribe write this down immediately."

* * *

From a distance in the walking woods, a horse and rider was spotted from the watch tower.

The watch guard called down to the gate guardians. "Open the gate! The young miko-sama returns!"

With a loud groan, the wooden gates were lifted up. The dark horse quickly trotted past them, its rider having to duck as to avoid the large logs hovering precariously over her head. Once they made it safely past, the gates fell into its original position, closing the village from the outsiders.

As soon as her horse set foot within the village walls, the young priestess quickly sensed the distress and anxiousness of the villages. Dismounting from her steed, she led it behind her deeper into the village toward the horse stalls. As she walked through the streets, she noted with concern that it was mostly empty despite the hour. The sun was still up, there was no reason that the villagers should be inside.

A moment later, a few children ran up to her from behind the stable, where they hid with the horses. They chanted as a few of the younger ones wrapped their arms around her legs, "Rin-sama, Rin-sama!"

"What is it, little ones?" she asked them calmly. She laid one hand on the top of a young child's head. The horse came to a stop next to her.

"Please, protect us! Rin-sama!" they cried. "Protect us!"

Rin stared at them, perplexed. "What is the matter? Has something happened to one of the villagers?"

"No! It is much worse, Rin-sama!" a girl wailed, "A youkai has entered the village head's home!"

"He was tall and had a scary expression!" a boy chimed in as he shivered from recalling the mental image. "He had claws that were longer than our fingers!"

"Where is Tsukiko-sama? She should be here, isn't she?" Rin asked.

"My onii-chan and some others have gone to get her. But they haven't returned yet," the girl clinging to her said.

"I see… But don't worry, children! I'll see to this demon," the brunette woman assured them. "Now, go back to your parents and tell them not to worry as well. Oh, and please can you get the horse keeper and return this horse to its stable room?"

She handed her reins to the oldest boy present. He nodded and tugged the horse along with him. The children looked at her with awe. "Be careful, Rin-sama!"

Rin smiled at them and watched as they dispersed. Once she saw that the last child returned safely, she quickly dashed to the designated home. Just as she reached there, she saw her mentor Tsukiko arriving from the left. Rin bowed. "Tsukiko-sama."

After a quick examination, the older miko nodded. "I see that you have safely returned. Is your injury serious?"

"No," Rin shook her head. "I dressed it already, Tsukiko-sama. It's fine."

"I see. Then you have been told of the situation?" Tsukiko asked as they both walked forth to the gates.

"Yes, the children have filled me in somewhat. Yet I don't sense any malicious or nefarious intent from within these walls. All sounds peaceful inside," Rin mused to her teacher.

"Let us in. the village head has summoned me from the shrine," Tsukiko said, waving her scepter in front of the male servant stationed outside.

He scurried and opened the door, bowing in respect as the two priestesses entered the village head's estate. Just before they reached the main hall, Tsukiko held out an arm, signaling to Rin to halt in her steps.

Footsteps were heard from the other end of the hall around the corner. As they came closer, two silhouettes appeared before the actual bodies. Rin noticed immediately how her mentor became stiff and her hand clenched tightly around her staff. She watched closely as the events unfolded in front of her eyes.

A tall youkai turned the corner with the head villager a step behind him. They stopped the moment the demon noticed the presence of the two miko.

The head villager addressed them in a jovial manner with hands behind his back and a smile upon his countenance. "Ah, Tsukiko-sama! What a pleasant surprise! I suppose that the villagers sent you here?"

"Yes, they have alerted me of a demon's presence entering the village," Tsukiko glared at Sesshomaru. "They sent me out of concern from you."

The spiteful look from the older priestess was ignored by Sesshomaru. His eyes were dilated as he was inwardly frozen at the sight of the younger human female. At first, he did not recognize the appearance, but without a doubt, she was the one from the forest. What truly piqued his interest, however, was the scent. It was clean, like the snow around, and floral from the dried blossoms tucked in her sash. But hidden underneath that layer, he detected his own scent stronger from her person.

His golden eyes shifted to the side ponytail on top of her head, held by a silk ribbon with a bell on it. The bell, it irritated his senses for some unknown reason.

"As you can see, there is absolutely nothing you need to worry about," the head villager reassured Tsukiko. "I'm alive and well. In fact, I am quite content with Sesshomaru-sama's presence."

At the mention of his name, Sesshomaru's eyes flitted between the two women. He noticed that the older miko still directed a very strong glare in his direction. The younger miko was looking at him with confusion-written eyes. The familiarity of her deep brown eyes struck him but he saw not recognition in them. He could not help but return her gaze as she continued to stare at him in puzzlement.

The old man turned to the daiyoukai. "Sesshomaru-sama, shall I see you out?"

"No. This is fine. This Sesshomaru hopes that you intend to keep your word," Sesshomaru remarked nonchalantly, leaving no threat because it was clear either way.

"Of course," the man nodded. "Please, this way."

All this time, Rin stared in shock at the demon lord before her. He was the one she briefly encountered and then fled from earlier in the forest! Now that they faced each other in person, she couldn't help but to notice how startlingly golden his eyes were. Not that it was uncommon, but they held a masked depth that stirred foreign something within her. Even when she wanted to break their connection, she could not. It was as if those molten eyes were drawing her in, slowly and dangerously. Regardless of her instincts telling her to turn away, she made no move to do so.

Instead, an urge washed upon her person, from the top of her head, down her heart, past her stomach, to the tip of her toes. It tugged at her urgently in her mind. Why? Why was she feeling this way? Why can't she look away?

When the demon lord finally turn away to walk past the two women, a zing struck Rin, freezing her completely as a pain grabbed her instantly. She clutched at her head and fell to her knees. She couldn't hear anything but static and the echo of her inner voice.

_So familiar…_

_His eyes…_

_They're so…_

_Golden._

And then, all went black.

* * *

**AN:** Ohoho, I'm back! This was actually written a long time ago. In fact, about a third of the story is already penned and sitting in a folder. I just never had the patience to read my scrawl and type it out. This one took close to five tries before it finally reached the end. Regardless of my inability to sit still, I'll do my best to get the next chapter up soon. Maybe.

Thank you very much to those who read and reviewed. You are the ones who keep me going!

Also, thank you to the reviewer **kitten** who reminded me that this has been put off for too long and that there are those who continue to wait patiently for an update.


	6. Nightly Glimpse

**Standard Disclaimers **applyto all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko is my own character. Please do not abuse them!

* * *

_Nightly Glimpse_,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

Sesshomaru stood at the edge of the small forest of pine trees behind the shrine of the valley's village. Night has nearly fallen with the sun setting quickly in the west. He did not return here intentionally. When the younger miko fainted all of a sudden, he could have cared less until the so-called Tsukiko called out the name of her disciple, Rin.

That alone was enough to confirm his suspicions. Slowly, he recounted the past decade to the day which he left his young ward here at the hands of that woman. The bell itself was more than enough to trigger the memory. The purpose of his coming here tonight, however, was not to retrieve her. no, it was because he couldn't help but feel that something was amiss about her. she failed to recognize him twice, even though she kept the bell by her side.

A noise of the sliding wooden doors drew him from his pondering. He watched silently, masking his demonic aura, to not alert the occupants of the shrine.

Tsukiko stepped out of the room where Rin was currently resting. The older human woman padded down the hall and turned a corner toward the front of the shrine quarters.

It was a moment before Sesshomaru revealed himself to the light of the night. He walked over to the holy grounds that were thick with spiritual energy. He suppressed his inner beast, clawing to overpower the purifying aura of the shrine. There was no need for the miko to come back and disturb his investigation. Sniffing the air to find it clear, he leapt to the door of the room.

Pushing the door aside, the demon lord stepped over the threshold and into the gently glowing room. Incense was lit, greatly bothering his nose with its noisome scent, but he ignored it once his golden eyes fell on the slumbering figure on the futon by the far side of the room.

Rin slept on despite his presence right by her. He could hear her deep breathing pattern and the regular pounding of her heartbeat.

Sesshomaru went over to her bedside, looking down at her with attentive eyes on the details. He traced over face before moving farther up to her hair where the bell was still tied to it. The light provided very little brightness as it mainly casted shadows around them, but even so, he could tell something over different about it.

Rather than the lustrous gold shade, it was overcome by a muddy red tone. Bending slightly, he reached out his left hand and gently, his claws lightly touched the trinket.

At that movement, the woman stirred and her brown eyes opened. In an instant, her body jumped into alert. Her hands reached for the sword placed at her side and quickly unsheathed it to bring it up to Sesshomaru's neck.

As Rin slipped into a sliding squat with one hand supporting her body weight, the inuyoukai did nothing to stop her. He just stood there motionlessly, watching as she steadily held the sword at him. She looked him over, her guard slightly dropping.

"You… You are the daiyoukai from earlier," she said it as a statement than a question. "What business do you have within our shrine?"

He disregarded her question. Instead, he tried to redirect their conversation to what held his interest. He stared at it as he spoke. "That bell is yours."

Puzzled, Rin's eyes moved to the upper right as her hand gingerly brushed against the trinket in her hair. Her eyes roved upward to seek his. "Yes. It has been with me since my youth. But you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

Sesshomaru mused as things quickly fell into place. "Then you are Rin."

The woman gave him an exasperated look but suddenly struck her. "How do you know my name?"

"You do not remember me." Suspicion again tickled his mind.

"Remember you? This is the first time that I've met you!" She gave him an incredulous look before her lips drew into a tight line. "Did I forget something? No, better yet, leave. Please, before my master comes. I don't wish to fight you."

"You do not recall how you received this bell from this Sesshomaru," the dog demon murmured as he rose to his full height. Rin stood up with him slowly and carefully as her sword was still at his throat.

This time, she frowned. She asked dubiously, "You gave me the bell?"

Sesshomaru averted his eyes to the side, claws cracking as he heard the footsteps rapidly approaching. It was the other priestess.

Without any effort, he launched himself into a backward motion so that he exited the room with his head in tact and completely avoided the confrontation within the small room. Tsukiko just reached the door as Sesshomaru was propelled out of the room and to the snow covered grounds.

The older woman gasped at his sight. "Demon!"

Rin ran outside to her master's side. "Tsukiko-sama, he-!"

"Rin! You knew of his presence yet you took no action?" Tsukiko added harshly. "How many times have I taught you?"

"But he has no ill will! I can't sense it!" Rin argued. "And my sword was drawn, but he didn't put up a fight!"

"Silence! I will decide on your punishment later," the priestess said sharply. Next, she turned Sesshomaru. A look of recognition and anger flashed through her eyes. "Demon! I will allow no more trespassing from you any longer! Your presence here has defiled our holy grounds! Be prepared to perish!"

Sesshomaru stared down at the woman. "Your threat are petty, wench. Answer me. What have you done to her?"

Tsukiko bristled at his tone and hissed, "That is none of your concern! Rin!"

Rin watched on in confusion. "Yes?"

"I have decided on part of your punishment! You will kill this demon with your very hands! I care not for what the head villager decided! Now go!" Tsukiko ordered without tearing her gaze from Sesshomaru.

"But!" Rin protested as she looked from her master to the demon before her.

"Now!" the older human instructed shrilly. Her own spiritual energy crackled from her staff.

Knowing that it was futile to go against her master's orders, Rin bit on her tongue and steadied her sword. Her brown eyes stared apologetically at Sesshomaru before she charged forward to pierce him. As she ran, her holy powers sparked down the length of her blade. She thrust the sword with accuracy.

The daiyoukai easily evaded the blow as he shifted his body to the side. Her forward thrust, however, was quickly followed by a side swing that caught the edge of his long sleeve even as he leapt above the path of the sword and over her head. During the time he was airborne, he looked down at the cleanly sliced gap in his sleeve. Though he was not physically injured, he thought that he had completely avoided the blow.

Before he could formulate a proper reason in his mind, Rin pivoted on her heels and made another wide swing, hoping to catch him while he was falling back down to the earth. This one he had to jump to avoid but was next caught by her upward slash. He quickly lashed out his glowing green poison whip and wrapped it around the middle of the blade as he landed. He forced the tip of her sword to the ground with his whip and released it when the high chirp of her powers collided with his demonic whip.

"Stop this, Rin," he ordered calmly. Her name fell from his lips easily, as it did in the past.

She gave him another apologetic look and swung her sword fully at him once more. This time, she unleashed a small wave of her purification energy from the swing.

Sesshomaru sidestepped with his agility, and Rin took her chance to dash headfirst with her sword ready to strike at him. A sword from his belt slid out of its sheath and its metal bit into the metal of her sword.

Normally, Sesshomaru would not have to draw his weapon against a weak human with purification abilities. But he could tell that even if he came in contact with Rin's weapon, she could inflict some serious damage on him physically. Her powers could almost rival the miko who guarded the Shikon no Tama. To think that a mere ten years could develop a power that he barely detected during her youth.

But the most disturbing thing was that he did not draw Bakusaiga.

Tenseiga sang as it clashed once more with Rin's sword.

Rin's eyes widened when her sword pulsated from Tenseiga's aura as her power began to react violently to it. A sudden electrical surge charged through her body at the moment her eyes fell upon Sesshomaru's sword. The way it was held in his hand. And the light whip from earlier.

His form of battle and weaponry nagged at her endlessly. They looked so familiar, especially that sword in his grasp. She felt no terror from the weapon. It emitted a soothing pale blue glow, casting a white envelope around them. Tingles ran down her spine as she realized that somehow, she was bonded to that sword. What was its name? She could feel it at the tip of her tongue.

As they exchanged blows with their swords, something clicked.

"Tenseiga," Rin breathed as they locked swords again. Her mind caught up with what she said and being stunned by her own words, she pulled away from the deadlock.

Sesshomaru looked at her inquisitively. Even though she had somehow forgotten the past, she remembered the name of his sword. This obviously meant that there was a chance where Rin could recover her memories. Nonetheless, he needed to figure out what was wrong with her, even though the spiritual energy surrounding him made him uncomfortable. He demanded without looking at the older woman, "What have you done to her, miko?"

Tsukiko glared at him. "What I did or did not do is none of your business, demon!"

Rin caught the hidden meaning behind her master's words. Confusion churned within her. "Tsukiko-sama?"

"Hmph. Leave and I will not repeat myself, demon!" the older priestess ordered as she ignored her apprentice's look of concern.

Night had completely fallen now and the three of them stood in the dark. The moon rose overhead in the cloudy sky, leaving murky moonbeams on the snow.

Rin gasped as she noticed how Sesshomaru's entire form seemed to absorb the glow from the moonlight. It was almost ethereal, even for a demon. His face was partially shadowed but his amber eyes shined eerily with the light reflecting in them.

Sesshomaru stood silently as he observed impassively the two women nearby him. He knew that nothing else would be explained. He sheathed Tenseiga and turned his back on them. Before he took the final steps into the forest, he stared at Tsukiko out of the corner of his eye. "Do not think this is the end, miko."

His eyes then lingered on Rin, whose own brown eyes remained glued to his person. He said nothing else and disappeared into the night.

As he left in the blink of an eye, Rin continued to stare after him. Tsukiko huffed and moved back into the shrine. Brought out of her trance by the rustling of clothing, the young woman turned her head. She couldn't stop the barrage of questions that slipped out. "Tsukiko-sama? Who is that demon lord? And how does he know me? How do you know him?"

The older woman made a disgruntled sound. "You best forget him. He is of no importance to you or me. Now, go rest. In the morning, you are going to meditate on your wrongs of tonight and reflect on your actions!"

Inwardly dropping her shoulders, Rin slowly sheathed her sword and drifted to her room. She answered reluctantly, "Hai, Tsukiko-sama."

* * *

**AN:** Thank you very much to those who read and reviewed. You are the ones who keep me going! Please look forward to the next chapter!

Special thank you to **angelbaby5643** and **PAMILA DE CASTRO** for your reviews!


	7. Clearing Dawn

**Standard Disclaimers **applyto all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko is my own character. Please do not abuse them!

_X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X_

_Clearing Dawn,_

By Winterwing3000

___X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X_

_Pant._

**Ba-bump.**

_Pant._

**Stumble.**

_Snarls._

**Ba-bump.**

_Whimpers._

**Snaps.**

_Pant._

**Trips.**

_Whimper!_

**Growls.**

_Pain and a silent scream. Pain, blood, more snarls, barks._

**Ba…bump…**

_Golden eyes… Don't go…_

**Darkness.**

* * *

Rin fell over from her meditative state and her sword Shirayume clattered on the ground.

Her breathing came out in short pants and her heart was still racing madly. Her hand clutched her robe just above her left breast. Her other hand reached unsteadily to her neck, looking for the teeth marks. There was only smooth skin and short hairs standing from alert.

Sucking in a deep breath, Rin opened her eyes and stared up at the resting altar of her predecessors.

What was that? She wondered. Was it a dream? A premonition?

She shook her head. Not, it couldn't be. All of it felt so real, as if she could feel and smell that entire passing. And those eyes. They were unmistakably his, the demon lord from yesterday. But why? What was it about his eyes that entranced her so deeply to the point that they were affecting her conscience?

Rin pursed her lips. No, it was no good. She didn't know just what was happening, or rather, what had happened between herself and the daiyoukai earlier. And her master refused to divulge any information. It only created a itching at the back of her mind. She wanted to know desperately but she had no means of getting the answer.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. If her master wished to withhold it from her, it was probably for a good reason. Regardless, Rin knew she had to take the initiative if she wanted any information. And the only other option was to seek him out.

Brown eyes brimmed with determination. Yes. She would go find him. It was a gamble but it was her only chance. There was no double that he knew something about the secret her master harbored from her.

Sighing, Rin stood up and reached for Shirayume. It looked like she would be on demon patrol a little earlier than usual today.

Quietly, she made her way through the side of the shrine grounds and down to the village stables. She peeked in and smiled. Her favorite brown chestnut steed from the afternoon was wide awake once it sensed her presences. The stable hand was most likely still asleep, as was the rest of the town, so she quickly dressed it to ride by herself. When finished, she walked with the horse to the gates of the village. The gatekeepers waved down to her from their perch above and motioned the gates to be opened.

Thanking them with a wave in return, Rin jumped onto the horse and galloped toward the forest.

Barely twelve hours had passed since he left, so there was a slight probability that she could find him before he completely descended from the mountains. And if her senses were still sharp at this hour, she might find him sooner.

She halted her ride in the middle of the forest after they covered a good distance. She avoided the main trail, since she guessed that the demon lord would prefer to travel in solitude and to prevent any encounters with other humans. The rays of the rising sun bounced off from the snow covered ground. Although there was barely enough light for her eyes to see properly, she was able to make out fresh tracks on the fallen snow. Her miko senses tingled as she reached out with her aura and traced her surroundings. It seemed that he had passed her not too long ago.

A smile grew on her lips. Yes, she would be able to catch up to him now.

Quickly, she nudged the horse into motion once more, this time she followed the footsteps. They seemed to lead her further and deeper into the mountains, which was strange. She thought that he would be going toward the foot of the range. Perhaps he was seeking a cave to rest, she reasoned. There was barely anything to provide secrecy in this barren land. A cave was the best option to remain undisturbed.

Soon enough, the trail of footprints brought her to one of the caves found on the lower sides of the mountain but the wind blew uphill at this part. Her lips thinned out.

He was an intelligent demon, this she was now truly sure of. By staying upwind, he avoided any foe from finding him through his scent. Even so, a wry grin then appeared on her face, there weren't any demons who ventured this far north, where there was little game or proper shelter. So he didn't really have to worry about that. It was probably instinct, she deduced.

Rin removed herself from the horse's back and tied him to a nearby tall brush. She crooned to the animal in order to quiet its fear. The horse smelt the demon and was obviously spooked when it refused to step any closer to the cave.

After tending to the horse, she walked quietly while looking down at the ground for any other traces of footprints that might belong to the daiyoukai. Surprisingly, she found none and it puzzled her. Was she following the wrong set of tracks?

No, that couldn't be possible. She could feel the pulse of his youki, faint and hidden as it was. The only thing she could do was to check the caves carefully.

Sighing, she set about doing so. She peered into each dark cave, where no light of any sort shone, and kept one hand hovering above the hilt of Shirayume. Upon the third cave she visited, Rin grew exasperated at the lack of light and was just about to leave the cave when suddenly a flash of silver caught her eyes. Looking in again, this time, squinting from the darkness, she jerked backwards when liquid golden eyes stared straight at her, appearing randomly in the dark.

There was no mistake now. She found him, even scaring herself a bit in the process. But she made no further steps into the cave and waited for him to give her some form of acknowledgment. When the golden eyes focused in on her, she fidgeted and offered a small and short bow.

"Ah… I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I…" she hesitated. It didn't seem like he really wanted to know why she was here or what she was saying at the moment.

"Uhm, I just wanted to apologize for my master's hostile attitude to you. I don't understand why she acted that way when you obviously weren't trying to hurt me. I'm also sorry for striking you. I didn't mean any harm, truly," she rambled, unsure of how to make her approach and ask him about her true intentions. Also, when the demon said nothing in return, it only made her more anxious.

Finally she gave him when he just continued to stare unwaveringly at her.

"… I know this is a little direct, but… who are you exactly?" she blurted out. "I mean, I know you're a demon lord and even though today is the first time that I've met you, I can't really help but feel that somehow you know me… from before today."

Silence continued to reign but Rin was not defeated by it. She tried to stand and wait for him to answer her. A gust of wind blew into the cave, rustling her hair and clothing. She shivered a bit but paused when there was a faint tinkering. Oh, her bell!

"And about my bell, what you said earlier…" she trailed off, hoping he could fill in the blanks of her statement.

"You," he spoke up at last. His eyes shifted to the side as she leaned forward from her spot. "You truly have forgotten."

"Forgot? What did I forget?" she looked at him with confusion clearly written across her face. "I don't understand. Are you saying that I forgot you? I have never met you before today. And I was raised in the village. Never once, did I step past the foot of the mountains and we rarely have visitors like yourself coming to our village."

Rin stopped short. The way he was saying it, it didn't make sense. But a sense of hope and dread rose within her. She whispered mostly to herself at her realization. "But you somehow know who I am…"

The daiyoukai said nothing else and frustration bubbled inside. Obviously she wouldn't be able to get anything else she wanted from him. So she might as well leave before her master found out and punished her for her rashness.

She bowed at him once more. "I guess this is goodbye for now. Maybe when we meet next time, you'll tell me more about how you know me. But before I go, can I at least have your name?"

He faced her once more, his hair floating softly before settling once more. Small rays of sunshine spilled into the cave. The dangerously handsome demon looked straight into her eyes, holding hers. Rin held her breath.

"I am Sesshomaru, Inu no Taisho, Lord of the West. Remember that well," Sesshomaru finally told her in parting. He then melted into the blackness of the cave, out of the sunlight.

Dazed, Rin walked back to her horse.

In her heart, his name, Sesshomaru, echoed hauntingly.

**_X.x.X.x.X.x.X.x.X_**

**AN:** Phew, I managed to get an update before school started! I hope this will leave everyone anticipating for the next chapter, which I cannot promise to be up for a long while. But thank you very much to those who read and reviewed. You are the ones who keep me going! See you in the next chapter!

Thanks to my lovely reviewers **TheEvilAshleyness, icegirljenni, FallenAngelGirl96,** and **klrob**!


	8. Northern Stake

**Standard Disclaimers **apply to all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko and Jingo are my characters. Please do not abuse them!

* * *

_Northern Stake_,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

"Rin-sama, Rin-sama! Come play with us!" The group of children cried.

Rin dismounted her horse and smiled as they surrounded her. "Okay, let me put the horse back and we can visit the edge of the forest. I saw some snow rabbits and foxes during my rounds."

The children cheered and chattered excitedly around her. Handing the reins over to the stable manager, the miko allowed the younger kids to drag her to their destination.

Her mind wandered from their animated conversations and echoed instead the name that has haunted her for the past nights. The glow of his hair, the shimmer of his eyes, and the timbre of his voice.

Sesshomaru was the Inu no Taisho and the heir and lord of the Western Lands. His name rolled off her tongue easily, almost familiarly. But nothing appeared to be familiar. No bells going off or flashbacks during her dreams after their last encounter. Her brows furrowed in concentration.

He obviously knew something as did her master, but neither of them wished to tell her anything which greatly aggravated her.

However, when his dark golden eyes appeared at the forefront of her mind, she couldn't stop his name from leaving her lips.

"Eh? Sesshomaru?" A young boy repeated in confusion.

Immediately Rin snapped out of her thoughts and offered the child in front of her a sheepish grin. "_Gomen_. Ah, we're here! Let's go a little closer. Everyone hold hands and be careful of where you step."

The children obediently followed her instructions. They formed a long horizontal line of eight. The late morning passed quickly into the afternoon as they trampled and silently observed the animals in their habitat.

As they walked back to the village, the boy who caught Rin in her daze couldn't help but ask, "Rin-sama, who is Sesshomaru?"

"I don't really know, but he told me that he is the Lord of the West," Rin answered, readjusting her sword at her back.

"Do you mean the demon that came to our village before?" he inquired curiously.

She hesitated in answering his question, unsure of how much she should be saying to the youngster. "Yes, he is."

"Hm…" The boy nodded. "_Okaa-san _said that he is a bad man, but _Otou-san_ said that this Sesshomaru-sama will be protecting our village."

"Protecting?" Rin echoed in confusion. "The village has never relied on outsiders' aide. So why now?"

They entered the village and the children quickly scattered with a chorus of thank you and goodbyes. The child remained at her side and shrugged. "Maybe there's going to be a war? Or the village head felt that we needed more protection? I don't know."

"Hey, Tobimaru! Come look! They brought back a big fish!" Some older children at the side cried gleefully. Tobimaru wandered to them, leaving the young woman to her thoughts.

She never thought about it, but for the demon lord of the West to personally visit such a remote village outside of his own lands was quite peculiar. He also left from the village head's estate without killing a single person. What exactly was his purpose if he wasn't out here to kill and conquer? Shaking her head, she felt it was unnecessary to continue the train of thought. It would be best to just request an audience with him and learn the truth.

Standing poised without drawing any more attention, Rin walked over to the village head's home.

"I am here to see the village head," she said to the guard, who went in and spoke to a servant before he allowed her in. she waited in the small room that she was led to and stood waiting.

Soon, the elderly man entered the room with a kind smile on his face. "Rin-sama, please sit."

He gestured to the mat where hot tea was served by a maid at the table. She accepted a cup gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

He drank from his own cup and sighed at the warm that washed down his throat. His smile never faded. "You have something you wish to ask?"

Rin nodded slowly, carefully choosing her words. She didn't want to offend the man when she was snooping for answers. "_Hai_, I wish to know the intentions of the demon lord Sesshomaru-sama. His appearance has unsettled the village and disturbed Tsukko-sama's peace. I am afraid and wish to lessen the uneasiness around the villages."

The old man sighed and rubbed his chin. "Yes, his presence was much unexpected. However, it was also inevitable. You see Rin-sama, our village is small and we are peaceful folks. We have a very small group of men trained for battle. And among the lands, the time for war draws near. The South and the West are about to enter a long conflict I am afraid."

Rin frowned. "But if the war is between the South and the West, what part do we play in it? we are isolated from both lords and I am sure we desire to join neither side."

"You must consider anything during a time like this. The South wishes to conquer most if not all of the West. Once that is accomplished, the desire for world domination is impossible to suppress and the North territory might be next." The elder set down his cup and sighed again. "The defense we have is weak as I have said. With only a handful of guards and two priestesses, we would be utterly defeated. I cannot afford the villagers to fall under ill hands."

The pieces all fell into place then. "So we are now allies to the Lord of the West? We will have his protection in order to avoid the destruction of the village? But what does that give Lord Sesshomaru? He gains very little from this alliance."

"True, yet having one more ally means one less foe."

* * *

"Kouga! Kouga!"

The _ookami youkai_ stood up from his seat with the elder wolves and gave his friends Ginta and Hakakku a disapproving look. Kouga asked, "What is it?"

"It's Ayame-nee-san!" Ginta cried as Hakakku tried to catch his breath.

The wolf tribe leader became stiff and alert at the mention of his mate. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's fighting a demon! A really strong demon!" Hakakku supplied urgently. "He was trespassing at our borders when we were patrolling!"

Kouga's blue eyes widened. Then he left in a flurry down the mountainside, not bothering to reprimand his comrades for leaving Ayame to fight alone. if they came to get him, then it must have been Ayame who told them to retreat. Even though he knew that Ayame had better training than the two and was more than capable at protecting herself, Kouga's concern stemmed from her pregnant condition. He sharpened his senses and followed the faint scent of his mate to the edge of the mountain range. The birds normally resting in the trees took flight when a tree in the forest fell.

He sniffed the air. it was an unfamiliar scent, and it became stronger as he approached. He pushed himself to move quicker, especially when the scent of blood tainted the air. When he arrived at the battle scene, Ayame was on the ground and down on all fours as she spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Ayame!" Kouga jumped in to the foray with vigor. His kick landed on a solid boulder and it shattered upon impact. The smaller chucks of rocks sprayed the area and dust rose into the air.

"_Teme!_" he growled at the trespasser. Ayame struggled to her knees with one arm around her heavy midsection. As the dust settled the raven-haired demon shifted into a battle stance in front of the fallen woman.

"Be careful, Kouga! He's a shape-shifter!" Ayame cautioned as she wiped the crusting blood from her lips.

Kouga silently regarded the space in front of him. There was nothing, but the scent remained in the air. The wind carried a hoarse laugh.

"My, my, if it isn't the Prince of Wolves, Kouga-sama!" The low hoarse voice said with mild amusement. A high pitched voice squealed with delight. "Just the person we were looking for!"

Baring his fangs, Kouga scanned the area again. "Come out and face me, you cowards! Those who dare to lay a hand on my mate deserve nothing short of death!"

"If that is your wish," the high octave voice cried with glee.

Kouga quickly grabbed Ayame and jumped away from their original spot by a tree. Dried leaves flew into the air as a large figure landed in front of them with a heavy thud. It was a two-headed demon with purple-green scales and yellow eyes. A rattle was attached to the tip of its long nd thin tail.

"Who are you and what is your business here in the Northern mountains?" the _ookami_ tribe leader snarled. His mate gripped onto his shoulder to prevent him from pouncing at their enemy recklessly.

The creature bowed mockingly. "We are messengers from the South and servants of the _daiyoukai_ Jingo-sama. We are here to deliver this message: Jingo-sama has requested your presence in a formal meeting for the battle to come. We are here to escort you there, Kouga-sama."

Kouga's eyes narrowed at the vague name of the Southern lord. He rarely journeyed far from the Northern mountains since the defeat of Naraku. Even during his quest for vengeance, he barely stepped foot past the borders of the East and West lands. "Whoever this Jingo is, tell him I am not interested in whatever war he is starting. Also, tell him to stay away from the Northern border or he will have to face the Wolves of the North."

The two snake heads looked at each other then back at Kouga. A feral grin was upon their lipless mouths, showing their thin pointed fangs.

"I believe that you are mistaken, Kouga-sama," the left head said.

The right head nodded almost solemnly. "It is not a request really, you see."

"Most definitely not," the left added.

They then narrowed their eyes at him. "It was an order."

* * *

**AN:** Happy 2013! Sorry for the delay in update, but I forgot where I put my handwritten manuscript and just found it! No promises, but I'll try to update during my Spring Break. So, see you in the next chapter!

Thanks to my lovely reviewers **nothreallyhere, TheEvilAshleyness, icegirljenni, Ravengal101, MonNos, AngelBaby5643, Guest, **and **Unknownred**.


	9. Rounding Company

**Standard Disclaimers **applyto all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko and Jingo are my characters. Please do not abuse them!

-.-

_Rounding Company_,

By Winterwing3000

* * *

It was late into the night and Rin tossed and turned in her bedroll. Sleep refused to come to her even as she attempted to meditate. Sighing, she lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling. Her brown eyes could barely identify the outlines of the beams running horizontally across her ceiling.

There were no shadows from the window tonight. The heavy clouds from the west slowly travelled through the valley. The elders from the village mentioned that they might possibly see a blanket of snow across the grounds one of these nights. Rin certainly hoped that wasn't the case. She wanted the season of flowers to come so that she may visit the lakes with the children to catch fish. She could also visit one of the small waterfalls to cultivate her spiritual energy and undergo the seasonal purification. After all, she did exorcise a good number of harmful demons this past season. It was best to fully cleanse her body, as her Master advised her since young.

The corner of her lips drew downward as her thoughts wandered over to her guardian.

_It was past midday when Tsukiko stepped into the small prayer room. Several carved stone statues sat around the premise as they solemnly looked down at the center of the chamber. There were strings of beads hanging in place of the shutters for the large windows. Sunlight poured into the space, leaving no spot of the room untouched._

_In the center of the room, Rin knelt in front of a painted scroll of the gods of creation, Izanagi and Izanami, and silently chanted as she nimbly rolled through a long string of prayer beads with one hand. A crease was present between her brows._

_She had been praying and reflecting since she returned from her visit to the village head two days ago. Her master scolded her for seeking him out without any consultation first and immediately sent Rin to the prayer chamber. It served as both her punishment for not destroying the demon lord Sesshomaru and for sticking her nose further into the topic when she was told not to._

_The older woman treaded with her chin held high into the space and stopped at Rin's side._

"_Do you know why you are being punished yet, Rin?" Tsukiko asked her disciple as she stared down at Rin's praying form._

_The young woman looked up with her frown lines still there. She shook her head and the bell in her hair tinkled dully. She did not look disappointed, but rather extremely confused. "I'm sorry, I still don't understand, Tsukiko-sama."_

_Even though Rin tried to feel upset in her lack of an answer to her maser's punishment, it was hard to do so. Each way she looked at her actions and the situation pertaining to that night, Rin couldn't tell what caused her master to react so violently toward the demon lord or to her curiosity about him._

_Tsukiko sucked in a breath sharply in disbelief. Normally her young ward knew from her rights and wrongs, so her words were hard to accept. She tried to ask patiently, "What don't you understand, Rin?"_

_The beads lowered down to Rin's lap with a soft click. Rin knew that there was no point in pussy-footing around the subject or with the questions, so she spoke her mind. "Why are you so upset when I went to look for the demon lord? He clearly recognized me, and for some reason, after we spoke, I feel like I should know him. I just wanted to know more from him—about how he knew who I was, and if he might able to be able to tell me about my past… The past that I forgot and which Tsukiko-sama refuses to tell me."_

_The older miko stared sternly at her. "I don't tell you because it is for your own good. The story of your past will bring you nothing but unhappiness. And what does it matter? It is as you said, the past."_

"_Is it because my past is involved with that daiyoukai?" Rin asked softly. It was a weighted question and Rin knew that there were only two outcomes to her question—the truth and the denial. Both of which meant the same thing to her. She waited with a bated breath for the answer._

_Tsukiko replied with a hint of impatience in her words. "It no longer matters if he was or not a part of your past. And as long as you can't understand why you are being punished, you can stay in here meditating until you do!"_

_The young priestess stared in bewilderment at her master's sudden coldness. But her brown eyes lowered in respect as Tsukiko turned on her heels and left the chamber. She muttered to no one in particular, "Then what do I do if I never figure out why?"_

Groaning, Rin pulled ends of her hair to cover her eyes. "What did I do wrong? I really don't get it."

It was against her master's teachings to not destroy any demons who could potentially infiltrate the village and harm its citizens, but honestly, she did not believe that the dog demon would harm them. Even the Head Villager trusted the dog demon enough to form an alliance with him and asked that he protect the village. Certainly that should give this specific demon enough credit.

While it wasn't something she wanted to admit, Rin was also deeply interested in learning more about this _daiyoukai_. She wanted to know so badly just what and how he knew of her. She could tell that he knew many things about her, things that she possibly might never have realized.

Though she never thought too much of it while growing up, now that she had the chance, Rin was not going to let go of the opportunity to learn about her so-called unspeakable past.

"I definitely won't let him go," she whispered as she rolled over and drifted to sleep.

* * *

Sesshomaru slowed his gait as he approached the borders of the Wolf clan marked at the base of the mountain range. Trees were denser in this area and the scent of the bears and deer were more prominent. The game here was different than that of the West, which relied partly the sea trade and rice paddies. The West offered less carnivorous sustenance and carried more spices from the Main Land. Foxes and otters were also more common, as well as smaller game.

As he drew closer, his keen amber eyes and sharp nose picked up signs of struggle around him. There was dried blood on the ground and on the trees. There were also several felled trees laying about the ground and all of them looked to have snapped from brute impact. It stunk of wolf and snakes, which was unusual for this part of the lands.

_Hebi youkai_ had a strong hold in the southern regions, where the climate was more suitable to their survival. In the north, there were more days of cold than warm. His mind quickly slipped the pieces of the puzzle into place, formulating the most plausible reason as to why there was a fight between the wolves and snakes. He did not find his conclusions to be pleasing at all.

"Halt, who goes there!"

"Hn?" Sesshomaru's expression did not change and he continued to walk toward his destination, thereby ignoring the wolf guard who called out to him from his perch on the tree. The _ookami_ _youkai_ became flustered and angry at being brushed aside. He leaped from his scouting location and landed in front of the dog demon. His arms were eagle-spread to physically block the passage way that led up to the caves.

"I asked who you are! And what business do you have here in our territory?" The wolf growled threateningly.

The _daiyoukai_ narrowed his eyes. "Move out of my way."

"Oi, what's going on here, Ko?" Ginta cried out as he came over to check on the commotion. Hakakku came up behind him. Then their eyes grew wide when they realized who was standing before them. Ginta stammered, "I-It's Sesshomaru!"

"Do you think he's here to pick a fight with Kouga too?" Hakakku whispered to Ginta nervously.

Ginta gulped. "I hope not. Kouga probably won't stand a chance against him, not in the condition that he is in right now! What is going on with everyone suddenly taking an interest to challenging Kouga anyway?"

Sesshomaru, having overheard their comments, faced them sharply. "Who was the challenger?"

Hakakku flinched at the sudden inquiry, but he held his ground. "I-It's none of your business! You haven't answered our question, why are you here?"

The dog demon narrowed his eyes at the two wolf demons, his aura pressing against them heavily. Finally, Ginta gave in and stammered, "T-They said that they were from the South. They were messengers or something of some _daiyoukai_!"

The corner of Sesshomaru's lips tightened at the mention of the messengers from the South. His suspicions were confirmed though. It seemed that it was now a race against time. The one who collected the most pieces would win the first round. He would need a report from Jaken the minute he crossed the borders.

Seeing as there was no time to waste, Sesshomaru leaped effortlessly over the wolves' heads and glided in the air to hasten his travel up the mountain.

From the looks of things, the Wolf Tribe had yet to commit to one side of the battle. Whether they remained uninvolved or became his allies in the upcoming war hung on the balance. So long as the wolves did not interfere in this war, Sesshomaru could care less if an allegiance was forged.

But should the day come when the North and the South form a pact, then the control that the West has over the Northern trade routes would be revoked. Furthermore, the thought of dividing his army two battle two separate enemies did not sit well with him either. The Western Lands were expanded to the point that the territory was spread too far to the North and to the South for him to protect every inch of the border. Idly, Sesshomaru wondered how exactly his father managed to defend this vast land with such a small army, made of common demons and provincial vassals.

As he flew over the countless numbers of wolf warriors and their kinsmen, he heard their alarm and saw them scramble for weapons. A barrage of javelins and spears were launched into the air, which he easily deflected with a flick of his light whip. Pieces of splintered wood fell from the sky. The _daiyoukai_ quickly discerned the scent of the Wolf Tribe's leader, who he had encountered previously during the fight with Naraku, and traced it to be at the topmost cave.

Sesshomaru landed lightly at the entrance of the cave and was immediately greeted by a fiery female _ookami youkai_.

"How did you get here?" She hissed with her fangs and claws at the ready. "Leave, before you overstay your welcome, dog demon!"

Sesshomaru stared at her, indifferent to her threat. He noticed that her scent was heavily cloaked with that of a male's, indicating that she was marked to none other than the Prince of Wolves. He stated, "I am here to speak to your leader."

Ayame flinched at his tone, which ruled out any point of argument, but she held her stance against him. "Kouga is not taking any audiences at the moment. Return another time."

"If you value the lives of your tribe, you will move aside," Sesshomaru said, his patience growing thin. Each moment he wasted could mean another ally lost to Jingo, and he could not afford that.

Although it was not intended to be a direct threat, he knew that the Alpha female took it as such, since her hackles rose in a second. She gritted her teeth as she spoke to him, "I said that he is not seeing anyone! If it is so important, you can leave a message and I will relay it to him!"

He was truly tired of her hindrance now. Fine, if the wolves refused to cooperate, then he would make sure that they were physically incapable of joining the war by crippling their main attack force. He cracked his knuckles in his right hand and raised it, preparing himself to summon the toxic talons.

Ayame became wary and was about to whistle for her wolf familiars, but a hand landed heavily on her shoulder. Kouga's taller form slowly emerged from the shadows of the cave and Sesshomaru took a good look at the damage the wolf sustained from the fight.

There were fading bruises from where the parts of his body was painfully dislocated or strangled. There were also symmetrical puncture wounds on Kouga's legs and arms. Poisonous yellow pus oozed from the wounds as the toxins were being ejected by the immune system.

"If it isn't the mutt's older brother," Kouga said cockily. "What wind blows you to my domain, Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru didn't bother responding the jibe and went straight to the point. "You fought with the demons from the South. Then you are now aware that the lord of the South intends to either recruit or kill you."

Kouga grunted humorlessly. "I got the death threat clear enough. So what does that have to do with you? Don't tell me you want to kill me too."

The _Inu no Taisho_ stared at him impassively. "This Sesshomaru has better things to do than to pick fights with those who cannot stand their ground against weak vermin."

The hackles on the raven-haired wolf rose as his defensive walls flew up. 'For your information, I sent that weak vermin back to the South with its tail tucked, literally."

Sesshomaru looked on disinterestedly while Ayame tried to calm down Kouga, who did not take lightly to being ignored.

If the Prince of Wolves had successfully thwarted the demon from the South, then it proved that he would be a fairly capable ally. His position would indubitably make a great difference in the balance of the war, or rather, make the scales tip toward the West's favor. If the East sided with the South, then it didn't truly matter to Sesshomaru. His father had previously created an alliance with the rulers of the Eastern Lands which he could easily use to manipulate the Boar Lord into being his ally, and not Jingo's.

Kouga cut him from his thoughts with a tone laced with annoyance. "So? Are you here with the same agenda as that _hebi youkai_? I thought you'd send a messenger though, if you were going to deliver a death threat. But for you to personally travel this far North means that you're here for something else aren't you, Sesshomaru? Like say an alliance."

The wolf demon took Sesshomaru's silence as affirmation. "Keh, I'll have you know that I have no interest in joining your petty fight for lands with the South. So long as the North is untouched, it doesn't concern me."

"Even if the Northern trade routes are a part of the consequences? Jingo seeks to control the trade, and he will grow increasingly greedy as his territory expansion succeeds."

Sesshomaru allowed the rest to be left unsaid, but he was sure that Kouga understood the meaning behind them. Kouga's brow twitched as his lips drew down into a frown. Then he bravely declared, "So you're saying he's going to target my territory next, huh? Fine, let him come! I'll send him back to his hole in the South before he could even set one foot here. But that doesn't mean I'm your ally, Sesshomaru. I only fight for what is mine and nothing else."

The silver-haired demon acknowledged Kouga's words with silence. Then Sesshomaru turned his back to them. Just before he left, he parted with words of caution. "Jingo will not give up so easily."

Ayame gasped as Sesshomaru was enveloped in his bright _youki_ and took to the air. She then faced Kouga with worry in her eyes. "Kouga, that means we're going to be attacked by more demons, doesn't it? Why aren't we joining forces with him?"

Kouga knew her questions were valid—especially when the Wolf Tribes were still recuperating from the many lives lost due to Naraku's sinister plans. But there was no way he would depend on the Dog Clan to protect his homeland. Not then, not now, not ever.

"Kouga!"

"Enough, Ayame," Kouga barked. "I will not ask those mutts for help! I can defend this family by myself, even if it means I have to die for it!"

She closed her mouth and swallowed her words of plea as Kouga coldly turned back into the cave. Ayame huffed, "Men and their pride!"

* * *

**AN:** This was a mind boggling chapter to write. More insanity to come, I promise!

Thank you very much to my readers and reviewers, especially **Sessrin4EverTID, Guest, MonNos, icegirljenni, **and **ShadowHunter11**. I hope to see you in the next chapter!


	10. Troubles Revealed

**Standard Disclaimers **applyto all the characters of Inuyasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko is my own character. Please do not abuse them!

**-.-**

_Troubles Revealed_,

By Winterwing3000

**-.-**

In the midst of his journey to the Eastern territory, Jaken came astride the two-headed dragon steed. The great beast grunted as it soared down from the blue skies and past the trees into a small clearing. While waving his staff, Jaken cried out, "Sesshomaru-sama, Sesshomaru-sama!"

The Inu no Taisho stopped in mid-step and watched as the toad demon landed Ah-Un next to him. Jaken hopped off the dragon demon and quickly bowed down to the inuyoukai. "Sesshomaru-sama, I bring grave news!"

"What is it, Jaken?" intoned Sesshomaru. The imp lifted his head and got to his feet with the help of his staff.

"I just received news that the taiyoukai from the East , the great Shimofuriki-sama, has just been assassinated! It was a coup-d'etat led by the third prince Shimosarui-sama. The crown prince Shimofuroshi-sama and the second prince Shimokuroi-sama were both detained during the takeover but we are unsure of whether they are still alive or not. The fourth princess Shokoya-sama is said to be a part of the coup-d'etat as well!"

Sesshomaru stayed silent and Jaken watched on nervously.

The Eastern Lands were normally isolated from the rest of the other territories since the end of the war between Ryuukotsusei and the previous Inu no Taishou. From what he recalled of the taiyoukai from the East, Sesshomaru remembered that the demon lord was a man of an iron fist and he didn't truly care for petty squabbles or for ideas of conquests. The Eastern lord only attacked when provoked, which was few and far in between as his territory was well protected and thriving greatly with additional assistance. What was most unusual was the sudden betrayal of the third prince Shimosarui and the fourth princess Shokoya. Though it was understandable as to the power struggle between the four heirs, Sesshoaru did not fully comprehend as to why it had to be now of all times. He wanted to suspect that Jingo had bought them out, but it was unlikely. It would have been easier to have the crown prince assume the position of the Eastern lord, since the people of the lands and the Eastern army was more familiar with his name. The third prince was the least likely of candidates to rouse the army. Furthermore, the princess had no power over any aspect of the Eastern Lands. It made very little sense to him at the moment.

But now, it was a dangerous game that the soon-to-be war was turning out to be.

He initially assumed that his visit to the East would have been quick, but now with a power hungry fool who was full of impulsive decisions and lack of experience, it would take more than just a few words to fulfill his goal.

It would be beneficial to have the East on his side, but it was also useful if the East did not participate in the war at all.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru said.

Jaken came around to the dog demon's side. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Dispatch archers to the south and east borders. Have the foot soldiers set camp ten miles behind the archers. Wait for my word before anything should happen. Report to me immediately if anything new happens," told the inuyoukai to the kappa. "This Sesshomaru will return to the West as soon as possible."

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama!" exclaimed the green imp with a bow.

Sesshomaru watched as his retainer hurried back over to the dragon demon. Soon, they took to the skies once more and travelled in the cover of the clouds. Once he could no longer see them, he turned to the direction of the Eastern fortress and set off by foot once more.

* * *

The past several days and nights were spent fruitlessly kneeling in prayer, repeatedly seeking an answer that refused to surface. Rin fidgeted and looked out the window that she opened this morning. The afternoon sun was causing the snow drifts on the roof awning to drip and melt. Soft and stately footsteps from behind her alerted Rin of her master's presence.

Turning around, Rin bowed. "Good afternoon, Tsukiko-sama."

Tsukiko nodded as she circled her disciple. "It has been over a week since I've had you reflect on your actions. Do you finally understand what I've told you?"

Rin bit her inner cheek. Part of her wanted to lie and tell her master that she did, but her personality refused to let her do so. Even if she did lie, there was no way that Tsukiko-sama wouldn't notice and then punish her even more.

Taking in her silent struggle as a negative answer, the older priestess sighed in disappointment. "Very well, Rin. Stand," she instructed, "And come with me."

Obediently, Rin picked up her sword and trailed behind her master. Tsukiko made sure to grab her own staff before they exited the shrine. They walked pass the front gate of the shrine and rounded to the back toward the trail up the mountains. Since Rin was never allowed once to even wander beyond the back of the shrine grounds, the scenery was most certainly different.

There was plenty of snow around and small clusters of tress everywhere, just like the area around the valley. But what was unusual to her was the stone stairs that led up to a cave on the mountainside. These steps were manmade and worn out sacred ropes were tied to several trees. A larger rope hung at the entrance of the cave. Little light spilled into the dark space from the mouth of the cave. The cave was musty but tall and deep. As they walked further into the cave, spires protruded from the ground and hung from the roof of the cave. Drips of water echoed as they slipped down the ceiling spires.

The jewel upon Tsukiko's staff glowed as she channeled her spiritual energy into it. An eerie blue glow gave light to the darkened pathway the further that they walked. Though Rin was curious about the cave and the destination, she didn't dare to speak. Eventually, they stopped at the end of the cave.

In front of them was a large chasm that was wide, deep, and dark. On the other side of the endless gap was a waterfall wall. Tsukiko stood and stared as Rin soaked in the magnificence of the waterfall. It seemed to be falling direction from the top of a cave and it was just as wide as the chasm. The water crashed the earth below and it sounded so very far away.

"You must be wondering by now why I brought you here," Tsukiko started. Rin could hear a tinge of melancholy in the older woman's voice.

"What is this place, Tsukiko-sama?" She finally dared to speak up. She could see how visibly tense her master was. In fact, her eyes were hardened as they stared down into the darkness just beyond their feet. Eventually, they locked gazes.

"This is the place where your grandmaster was pushed to her death," the priestess uttered with sadness and anger laced in her words.

Brown eyes widened at the tone of the woman's bitterness. Rin heard very little of her master's predecessor but learned that she was an extremely skillful woman who easily defeated a group of formidable demons singlehandedly. But the information that her master just told her did not match with the stories that some of the village said.

"I heard from the villagers that she was buried by the foot of the mountain after fighting an extremely powerful youkai," Rin said cautiously. She did pass by an unmarked gravestone there but never questioned it.

Tsukiko barked a laugh. "That is what everyone was told, but that gravestone has no name on it, correct? That was because it belonged to the one who committed the heinous crime against my master."

"You mean the one who killed her?" Rin tried to conceal her surprise but it was hard. "Who was it?"

"It was the person who my master trusted so deeply. She trusted him so much that it blinded her from his true intentions," the priestess muttered darkly as her anger of the past rose from within. "She trusted him and told him of her weakness and he used it against her, thus killing her in the end by pushing her into this black endless pit."

Now, Rin wasn't sure who to believe. The story that her master just told her made little sense as it didn't correspond with that of the villagers. Who was she to believe? Her master's deep-seated anger was extremely realistic, yet she couldn't bring herself to fully believe it. "Then why was a gravestone erected for the demon and not the grandmaster?"

"The villagers feared the demon's vengeance from his death and so they did it to appease his soul in the afterlife," Tsukiko said staidly.

Rin knew that her master did not appreciate the gesture but withheld her opinions and followed the village's plan. Even though she wasn't completely sure of the story, she at least knew of her master's deep resentment toward the youkai race. It was hard to blame her master of her hatred, but Rin somehow felt that there was probably another reason for the specific anger and detest held against Sesshomaru. Even with some answers given to her, the young miko couldn't help but groan at the fact that there were now more questions springing up in her mind. But Rin held her tongue when she noticed the sadness that reflected in Tsukiko's eyes.

It must have been hard and painful to know that her grandmaster lost her life for a person who she trusted so deeply. The betrayal was a hurtful and scarring moment to Tsukiko-sama. But surely, there was a reason as to why the demon betrayed her grandmaster and caused the subsequent events to unfold. Rin suspected that there was more to the relationship between her grandmaster and the demon but maybe Tsukiko-sama was blind to that fact, or in severe denial.

"So, what say you, now that you have learned of the ill fate of your grandmaster?" Tsukiko faced Rin directly. Her eyes were cold once more.

Rin mused on her thoughts but hesitated in answering. "May I speak honestly, shishou?"

The older woman's eyes narrowed and her lips thinned out. Even so, she permitted it.

"I think that it was very unfortunate that such a horrible end awaited the grandmaster. But I also think it is unfair of us to harshly judge her youkai companion. I believe that there was a reason as to why she chose to give him her weakness. So, I don't think that all youkai in the end are evil. Some can be trusted," Rin replied in a somber manner. She could tell that her answer did not please her master. But there was little she could do from withholding her honest feelings.

Tsukiko trembled with fury. Her aura radiated around them so strongly that even Rin flinched at the sudden outpour of power. It extinguished when her master gritted her teeth to control and dampen her emotions. Her eyes were ablaze and Rin felt very small and trapped at her gaze.

"You… You are just as foolish, like my master! After all this time, after all that I've taught you and had you think, you still are like this! Very well, if that is how you truly feel, then I have no other choice but to do this. Remember, you brought this on yourself. Perhaps, after this, you will finally realize the fallacy in your belief."

A wave of dread gnawed at Rin. She swallowed as her throat dried in anticipation. "Tsukiko-sama?"

Tsukiko drew herself to her full height and her staff stood just as tall beside her. Her expression was blank but her eyes were grim and cool. The coolness was a fire well-disguised.

"Rin, as of this moment, I hereby suspend you of your duties to this shrine of the Snow Valley Village. You are under no circumstances to refuse the mission now bestowed upon you. For this mission, you must leave this village for one full year, after the night of the full moon. In this one year, you are not to step foot into the Snow Valley or you will face permanent exile from the village. Furthermore, you cannot associate yourself with the village for any reason during your suspension. Upon your return, I will ask you the question once more and your fate will depend on your answer then. Do you accept this mission, Rin?"

Rin was floored beyond words. She could only stare, stupefied at her master's declaration.

"Tsukiko-sama," she whispered in disbelief. "Why? What has Rin done wrong?"

"You cannot blame me for doing this, Rin," Tsukiko stated monotonously. "You have only yourself to blame."

Rin fell to her knees as Tsukiko turned around and walked away from the cave. The glow of the jewel on her staff faded in the distance.

The young miko could only watch as the darkness enveloped her. But there were no tears, only emptiness.

**-.-**

**AN:** Finally a turning point in the story! The next several chapters are going to take a while to post, so I hope you'll stick with me till then!

Thank you very much to my readers and reviewers, especially **dohimdraco, Sessrin4EverTID, Guest, James Birdsong, **and **icegirljenni11**. I hope to see you in the next chapter!


	11. Torn Pretenses

**Standard Disclaimers **applyto all the characters of InuYasha that solely belong to creator Rumiko Takahashi. Tsukiko, Shimosarui, Shokoya, and Shimofuriki are my own characters. Please do not abuse them!

**-.-**

_Torn Pretenses_,

By Winterwing3000

**-.-**

It was not hard to tell that there was unrest in the East.

Bodies of soldiers littered the land, reeking of drawn out battles between demons. Though they were of the same youkai specie, Sesshomaru saw that the colors of their uniforms were different. The formal colors of the Boar Clan were a rich brown and a muted teal with diamond shaped patterns. The other uniform was a royal purple with a white trim and a snow drop for the emblem.

As Sesshomaru approached the Eastern fortress, he was immediately blocked by the soldiers in purple.

"Halt!" they ordered him. "Who are you and what is your purpose?"

"This Sesshomaru is here to speak to the new lord of the East." Sesshomaru said it with a pointed look. The boar soldiers did not flinch. One soldier scampered away to bring the news to the fortress courier. It did not take long for the soldier to return with a court officer in tow.

The court representative offered a respectful bow to the dog demon lord. "Welcome Inu no Taisho, Sesshomaru-sama, to the Eastern lands. Our lord Shimosarui-sama and lady Shokoya-sama await your presence in the grand hall. Allow me to lead you there, my Lord," the other youkai said politely as he turned around and walked back in the direction from which he came.

Sesshomaru followed silently as he observed the on-goings of the lands behind the gates.

The aftermath of the battle for power was also evident. The air still smelled strongly of blood and rotting corpses from the pile in the side yard. Most likely the bodies would be burned later on. Surrounding the yards were handfuls of guards. There was also a group of guards who marched around the perimeter of the main building. Security at the moment was stringent and almost paranoid from his point of view. It was almost as if the newly declared Eastern Lord suspected of assassinations to occur at every waking moment. But if Jaken's report was correct, then the crown prince and second prince were locked up somewhere in the dungeons. Even if they had followers, the opposition did not stand a chance against the remaining army, which were now directly under Shimosarui's control now. Perhaps Shimosarui feared the attacks from other daiyoukai since he was at his weakest ruling phase right now. He probably had more enemies than followers.

Soon, they arrived at the grand hall of the court. There were several other youkai present. These gentlemen stopped speaking to each other and turned to stare at the daiyoukai of the West. At the head of the room, two figures were seated next to each other on a raised tatami platform. From the first glance, Sesshomaru knew that they were Shimosarui and Shokoya. He walked forward until he was a few feet away from the platform.

Two guards stationed by the platforms almost drew their swords but Shimosarui stopped them.

"Be at ease, soldiers. Sesshomaru-sama is here as my guest," he ordered. A smirked appeared on his handsome face. "Welcome to the East, Sesshomaru-sama. I hope that your trip here was pleasant."

"I thank you for having me, Shimosarui-sama," Sesshomaru answered passively. "This Sesshomaru congratulates both you and Shokoya-sama to your ascension to the throne."

A stiff smile stretched across the boar demon's lips. His sister replied in his stead in an even manner. "Thank you for your kind words, Sesshomaru-sama. We are happy that you recognize us as the new lords of the East. Now, what brings you to our lands, if you don't mind me asking?"

Sesshomaru snorted inwardly at her breech of social hierarchy and conduct. So the princess was an equal contributor to the demise of her sire.

"The Sesshomaru would like to propose an alliance with the lords of the East," the inuyoukai told them.

"For centuries past, the East and West have been separate entities. We each thrived and lived in relative peace. For Sesshomaru-sama to propose an alliance is very unusual. What benefits do we of the East have in joining hands with the West?" Shimosarui questioned loftily. "We the Boar Clan have sustained ourselves without the aid of others since the days of our founding fathers. This Shimosarui cannot possibly enter an agreement with Sesshomaru-sama and disregard my people's pride and livelihood."

"This Sesshomaru is confident that the East has the ability to defend against invaders as all of the East's warriors are strong, but what of the defense against those within these walls?" Sesshomaru did not blink as he made the insinuation. "There seems to be a rat among your ranks, Shimosarui-sama. And that is something that Shimofuriki-sama had no trouble eradicating during his reign."

The smile vanished immediately from Shimosarui's face and a snarl replaced it. "Just what is it that you are trying to say, Sesshomaru-sama? I do not take lightly to any slander."

"Onii-sama, please relax," Shokoya said softly but sternly. She didn't take her eyes off of the dog demon. "I am sure that Sesshomaru-sama is just giving us a reminder about the laws of our sire and for that, we should thank him for his gracious words. We are still young and any guidance is always appreciated, isn't that right, onii-sama?"

The male boar demon exhaled through his nostrils and released the tension from his facial expression and body posture. He dipped his head in apology to Sesshomaru. "Yes, you are correct dear Shokoya. This Shimosarui apologizes to Sesshomaru-sama for my outburst. Please continue to guide me in the future as well."

"Now with regards to your proposal," the former princess said without missing a beat. "Perhaps we should discuss the matter in more detail and in private."

At the meaningful look she directed at her brother, Shimosarui cleared his throat and dismissed his court officials. "That is all for today. I shall call upon you if anything else should arise."

The other demons silently bowed and exited the hall, but not before casting suspicious looks toward the still standing Sesshomaru. The doors creaked as they closed behind him.

Shokoya bowed her head behind her fan. "We thank you for your patience, Sesshomaru-sama. Let us return to the discussion of your alliance proposal. For what reason does Sesshomaru-sama wish to join the East and West?"

From the glitter in her eyes, Sesshomaru knew that she was scheming something. Their choice to accept now depended on several things. First, who was the puppet and the puppeteer between the siblings. Second, the terms that he was going to offer them in equivalent exchange. And third, whether or not the South already had their claws sunk into the depths of the East. If it was the former ruler Shimofuriki-sama seated in front of him, Sesshomaru knew that this meeting would have ended by now. Shimofuriki-sama was not a man who was swayed from the ideas of land or riches. These two freshly appointed lords on the other hand probably desired those things just based on their reactions, and it made things more difficult to proceed with the negotiations. Normally, he would offer to supply a quarter of the war rations if they were to go to war or he would give part of the land that was acquired through the war. But this war was a matter of defense at the moment, as he originally had no plan for further conquest. If Jingo refused to withdraw his troops from the front lines and persisted to usurp the West, then it would become a matter of conquest.

"Perhaps his reasons are not honorable, Shokoya. We mustn't force Sesshomaru-sama to speak of it if that is the case," Shimosarui injected at Sesshomaru's prolonged silence.

Immediately Sesshomaru's face hardened at the thinly veiled insult. "This Sesshomaru assures you that there is no dishonorable intention. there has been unrest at the borders of our lands and to put out the fire, it would be beneficial for us to join hands temporarily in order to return peace to our lands."

"What unrest do you speak of, Sesshomaru-sama? Surely you must be misinformed for we haven't received word of such disturbances." Shokoya said innocently but with a challenging glint in her eyes. "Even if such rumors were true, it can be assured that our forces will repel them as necessary. Perhaps you should do the same as well, Sesshomaru-sama. Therefore, it seems that there is no need for an alliance."

He could tell that they were baiting him. They obviously were lying about not knowing what was happening beyond their borders as the foul Shimosarui gave that away with the impertinent look of his.

"If you like, we can always negotiate other terms in order to balance out this alliance. As you may have seen, Sesshomaru-sama, we have plenty of men to defend our borders. They however require to be fed," said Shimosarui. "Our harvest this year has been significantly less due to the summer fires that wrought our fields barren."

Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed as he did the calculations in his head. To split this army rations in large quantities was a dangerous move, especially if they were to drag on the war. Not to mention, he had to account for the possible disasters happening during the war. Yet surely, he suspected that there was more to this deal than just rations. He spoke neutrally to conceal his reservations. "Then the share that you are thinking of?"

Shimosarui looked thoughtful before he replied, "If Sesshomaru-sama is willing, then one fourth of what rations you may have."

"That is impossible. One-sixth of the rations is more than enough," Sesshomaru said. He added, "In addition, there can also be a supply of two hundred arrows."

There were more than enough arrows to spare, and often were useless against demon armor any way. They were more of a means for distraction.

"Arrows are of no use to our men. My army men are close combatants and we have no archers," said the third prince. "How about forty sacks of your finest spices, then?"

The dog demon frowned visibly. The East, as far as he knew, never concerned themselves with spices before. What use would they have for spices? Also, the amount they asked for was high. It would be worth much more than the rations.

Shokoya, who was silent thus far, smiled demurely. "Is forty sacks negotiable, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Twenty." He waited as the siblings looked at each other and communicated with their eyes. Moments later, Shokoya's expression darkened but Shimosarui placed a placating hand on her shoulder.

The boar demon lord said, "Thirty-five sacks of spices, one-sixth of the rations, and twelve of your battle steeds."

"No," Sesshomaru responded automatically. "This Sesshomaru will not negotiate battle steeds. Twenty-two sacks of spices and one-sixth of the rations; that is the final offer."

The boar princess spread open her fan elegantly and smirked behind it as she coyly reminded, "This one believes that it was Sesshomaru-sama's idea to forge an alliance between the East and West. Yet, your terms are hardly fair to us, especially if you plan to fight and win this war against the South."

A smirk of his own appeared on his face. "Whoever said that I was going to war? Shokoya-hime? I don't recall mentioning anything about a war, merely a disturbance."

Shokoya's cheeks pinked immediately and Shimosarui cursed under his breath. He tried to smooth out the unprecedented wrinkles that appeared in their plans. "What my sister means is the possibility of an outbreak of war at the borders to the unrest."

Patience now worn, Sesshomaru glared at them.

"Enough! This Sesshomaru withdraws the alliance. There is no need for traitors to join me, especially those who lack filial piety. Consider this visit a warning to you and the East. There will only be death should you join hands with the South, so make your decisions wisely." Sesshomaru looked directly at the siblings before he turned around and marched toward the doors.

"You think you can get away with threatening us like so, Sesshomaru-sama?" Shimosarui mocked. "Guards! Seize this unruly dog demon and bring him to the dungeons! Let's see how long the West can hold out without their lord."

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks as a swarm of armed demons burst through the doors and surrounded him, all poised to attack with their weapons. He glanced once at them all and then said, "Move if you value your lives."

"I believe it is you who should surrender, Sesshomaru-sama!" Shimosarui exclaimed. He pointed at the other daiyoukai. "Attack him!"

The demon guards rushed all at once with their weapons raised and a fierce battle cry.

In a blink of an eye, Sesshomaru drew his sword Bakusaiga. He first parried against two of the attackers before slicing them in half length wise. Several other guards aimed for his back in unison and so, he leaped to avoid them while doing away with a few of the unprepared soldiers. Spearheads came from all four directions above him, causing him to duck and sweep his sword at their knees. They all fell with painful cries as their bodies started to crumble away. Barely any blood coated the floor as the lumps of flesh fell around him. The remaining demon guards backed away in fear as they stared at the remains of their fallen comrades. Some looked toward the boar siblings for further instructions with terror clearly written across their faces.

Shokoya had taken to standing behind Shimosarui with her eyes narrowed as she took in the destruction caused by Sesshomaru's sword. Shimosarui was clenching and unclenching his fists and gritting his teeth. Anger flashed in his eyes as he shouted at his men. "Well, what are you fools waiting for? Kill him already!"

"But Shimosarui-sama!" The men cried out pleadingly.

"Tell them to retreat, onii-sama," the fourth princess advised. "There is no need for pointless bloodshed before the actual battle. We must be courteous to all honored guests."

Reining in his rage, the third prince conceded. "Very well. Guards, stand down. Sesshomaru-sama, have a safe trip back to the West. I look forward to seeing you at the front lines, though I certainly hope it will not come to that."

The inuyoukai showed very little emotion as he stared at the two younger demons and said nothing as he sheathed Bakusaiga. He walked out of the hall silently.

Shokoya stayed back as Shimosarui commanded the rest of his guards to their next assignment. Her eyes followed the hypnotizing sway of the silver mane. With a practiced flick of her wrist, she closed her fan. "What a terrifying man you are, Sesshomaru-sama."

* * *

"Rin-sama, where are you going?"

"Will you come back, Rin-sama?"

"Why are you leaving, Rin-sama?"

"Don't go, Rin-sama! Don't leave us!"

Rin could only smile sadly at the children surrounding her and the horse. Some of them were crying out loud and others were holding back tears bravely. There were things she wanted to say to comfort them but in the end, it was pointless.

It had been a week since Tsukiko-sama brought her to the grave of her grandmaster. It was possibly the longs week of anxiety and numbness Rin ever felt in her life. During that time, aside from staying in her room and attending to her normal duties, the young woman made arrangements with the Head Villager after giving him a false excuse of going on an errand for Tsukiko-sama which required her to leave the village for a year long. He allowed her to take one of the horses. In addition, he provided her several days' worth of food for her journey. From the shrine, she was only taking her sword Shirayume, a pair of sandals, and another set of clothes. She didn't have much to begin with anyway.

Just last night, she tossed and turned as sleep evaded her and her mind was plagued with thoughts of the unknown future. It would truly be her first journey alone and well beyond the circle which she was comfortable with. Where on earth was she supposed to go? What was she supposed see? What would she encounter in order for her realize what she could not understand through meditation?

She gave up on the idea of asking her master anything else, as they were now not on speaking terms. Tsukiko said absolutely nothing in response when Rin announced of her departure this morning. The older woman was obviously upholding her part of the command of not speaking to her or acknowledging her until her return one year later. It pained Rin to be ignored by her guardian of many years, and she knew that her journey would either make or break their relationship. Now, with every step closer to the village gates, Rin hoped for Tsukiko to send her off.

She looked down at the children around her and said, "It is time that I leave, children. Be good to your parents and don't trouble your family too much, do you hear me?"

"When will you be back, Rin-sama?" A young girl gazed up with wide teary eyes. Rin kneeled down to her level and petted her hair.

"Don't cry, little one. I'll be back as soon as my errand is complete, as I always do. It will just be a little longer than usual, that's all."

The children stepped back as Rin mounted her horse and the gates in front of them opened. The seasons were about to turn for the worse. The snow piles at the foot of every tree amounted to be higher than her ankles and animal tracks were no longer scattered about. She wouldn't have the chance to see Spring come this year and Fall was most likely ending in the plains now. What was it like, the world beyond the mountains and forest of the Snow Valley Village? How was the people and what were their lives like? Would she even want to return once she stepped into the new world? Would she even survive the outside world on her own?

"Have a safe trip, Rin-sama! We'll miss you! Come home soon, okay?" The children chorused their farewells.

With a bright smile, the shrine maiden nodded. "I'll come home soon! Take care!"

A snap of the reins and she was off. Just as the horse trotted beyond the village gates, Rin felt her heart clench and her palms grew sweaty. Even though she didn't want to, her brown eyes looked back at the disappearing sight of her home. Rin gasped and tears sprung to her eyes.

Tsukiko stood at the gate with her staff at her side. The children gathered next to the old priestess and waved enthusiastically.

Her smile turned watery as Rin faced forward to the path of her journey. "Goodbye, Tsukiko-sama."

* * *

**AN:** I surprised myself to update twice this summer! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.

Thank you very much to my readers and reviewers, especially **Miss Momolo, sotam, ****L.H**, and **odango88**.


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